Summer Skin
by Tozz
Summary: Sixteen-year-old Claire is sent back to Mineral Town for the summer by her mother, forcing her to be reunited with the people and places she thought she'd left behind-as well as meeting a boy named Kai she finds she can't stand. Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1

_I don't recall a single care  
Just greenery and humid air  
Then Labor Day came and went  
And we shed what was left of our summer skin..._

Hello there! :) Welcome to my latest fic. I actually wrote this a while ago after being struck by a certain idea, but my lovely gorgeous editor only just recently helped me make this first chapter sufficiently presentable, which is why I am just now, well...presenting it. It's something that I've worked hard on. I wanted to try something with a much different feel from my other fic, Different Names for the Same Thing...let's see how it goes. Please enjoy, and if you read, please please review!

Btw--the title is taken from the Death Cab for Cutie song of the same name (the bit at the top is a verse from the song). I feel like the lyrics of Summer Skin portray my original intention of this fic rather well...although this makes two of my fics with their titles taken from DCfC songs. Eep! Well, that's okay.

**Chapter 1**

When I stepped off the ferry and had both feet planted on the worn, wooden planks of Mineral Town's dock, I was finally hit by the dread.

I had been in denial since the day my mom had told me about my punishment. Even when she made me pack my bags I didn't believe her. Not even when the ferry pulled out of the port and started chugging its way to Mineral Town. I figured that it was just a joke, or maybe a unique scare tactic to try to get me to stop misbehaving.

No, I never once believed that she was serious. She'd never done anything like this before.

But there was no denying it now: I was standing there on the dock with bags in both hands, alone, while the ferry rumbled back to life and began its journey back to the mainland. It was that moment that I realized this was actually happening. I was stuck on a tiny island for a summer of hell.

Slightly melodramatic, yes, but I couldn't fight the feelings of panic and wrath rising up in my throat.

"Shit," I muttered under my breath. I took deep breaths, desperately trying to convince myself that it wasn't as bad as I thought. The only problem was I couldn't find a single good thing about it.

"Are you new?" My head snapped over towards the direction of the unrecognizable voice. My hands gripped the handles of my luggage a little tighter. Popuri and Rick were supposed to be meeting me, and this guy who had just called out to me definitely was not either one of them.

He was tan, browned to the point that he probably had one of those year-round tans. He had a purple bandana tied loosely around his head, which looked a little cheesy. His clothes screamed beach bum. He made his across the sand towards me, barefoot with his pant legs rolled up. I stood there on the dock, rooted to the spot.

"K-kind of," I called back, embarrassed at how my voice hitched. I felt so upset and having someone stumble across me in that state was the last thing I wanted.

He got closer and closer, close enough that I could see the finer details. He wore a smug half-smirk, like he was laughing at his own private joke, and there was something about his stride that seemed intimidating. I wondered who he could possibly be. Someone who had moved here while I'd been gone, obviously. But his arrogant aura was vaguely irritating; I didn't like the way he was acting like he owned the place. Not that I felt any ties to Mineral Town anymore, but it was still annoying.

"Kind of?" he questioned, looking me straight in the eye. "I don't think I've seen you around before."

"I've never seen you, either," I shot back. "I'm visiting Popuri." This wasn't really a lie. I _was _visiting—just not by choice.

His eyebrows arched, like this was an oh-so-interesting development. His smirk remained. "I see. I don't remember her mentioning you…"

My eyes narrowed. So he knew Popuri, apparently. "It was a little sudden, me coming here," I answered, with more confidence that time. It was definitely true.

"I can take you to Chicken Lil's, if you like," he suggested. The offer was innocent enough, but that smirk leaked a hint of condescension into his words.

"No thanks," I said bluntly, heaving my bags up and shuffling past him. "I know my way around."

I got no reply, and I was tempted to look over my shoulder to see why he was so quiet, but then I heard him say, "Tell Popuri I said hi, okay?"

I ignored him and kept going. I hoped I wouldn't have to run into him again anytime soon, although if he was friends with Popuri I guessed that would be pretty difficult.

I was trying my best to march off with my dignity, but then a huge gust of wind came out of _nowhere_, cruelly flinging sand and sea spray into my eyes. I almost dropped my bags to claw at my eyes in pain.

"Damn it," I hissed, doubling over and rubbing my face. I froze, however, when I thought I heard someone snickering behind me. I immediately stood up straight, blinking my watering eyes, and soldiered on, not even daring to look back to see if I had imagined that idiotic beach bum laughing at me. My eyes were still burning in agony, begging me to relieve them, but I kept my hands firmly gripping the straps of my bags.

And so my summer of hell on a tiny island began.

x x x

My history of my summers spent at Chicken Lil's went like this:

My mom had been friends with Lillia, owner of Chicken Lil's and mother of two kids, Rick and Popuri, for a long time. I was Popuri's age; Rick was a few years older. One summer about seven years ago, my mom, my dad, and I stayed in Mineral Town for a vacation. We rented a room at the inn, and every day my mom would visit Lillia and the two would chat all afternoon. Inevitably, I was introduced to Rick and Popuri.

Hanging out with them turned out to be a ton of fun. Since I was the "city girl," they showed me all over the island, and we spent most days running around the beach or exploring in the mountains. It was like nothing I'd ever experienced, and at the end of our stay I begged to go back the next summer. Only Mom came with me that time. The year after that I went alone.

And then, during the summer when I was thirteen, I stopped going. I had my reasons.

So, with all that, going back to Mineral Town—location of three happy summers from my childhood—might not have seemed so bad. Except for the fact that I was sixteen now, and playing around outside all day had long since lost its appeal.

My mom had probably selected Mineral Town for my exile for that very reason, just to make me miserable. Although I knew that wasn't really the case. I could still remember what she'd said on that day, when she'd caught me.

_I don't know what to do with you anymore,_ she'd cried, throwing her hands up in the air. So she was sending me away to someone she trusted until she figured it out. _I_ was the one making _her _miserable.

That wasn't as troubling to me, her daughter, as it probably should have been.

x x x

I was acutely aware of the sweat collecting along my spine, dripping down my back and making me feel disgusting. The heat was unbearable and inescapable; how did I ever put up with it as a kid? I wished I'd put on more sunscreen before I got off the ferry. Where were Popuri and Rick, anyway? Mom had told me I would be meeting them at the dock, and now I was hobbling down the bricked paths towards Chicken Lil's alone, trying to balance all my bags in my arms.

As if on cue, I heard the familiar, sugary-sweet voice call my name. "Claire!" I stopped dead in my tracks at the sound of my name and watched as Popuri bounded towards me, her cotton candy hair bouncing loosely behind her. It took her long enough to reach me to give me the opportunity to look her over. I found it somewhat irksome that she had gone through virtually no change since I was gone. It had been four years since I'd seen her last and yet she looked the same. She hadn't lost any baby fat; her fair-skinned cheeks were round and flushed with excitement. I couldn't help but compare myself to her, although I wasn't one to be to concerned with appearances. She was just so _pretty_, startlingly so. Small and delicate, like a porcelain doll. I tried to picture how I looked right then: red-faced and sweaty, my blonde hair awry and sticking to my lips, my clothes wrinkled and smelling like sea salt. Far from being even remotely dainty or feminine.

And then behind her I saw Rick, who had changed only slightly more than his younger sister. His legs seemed almost comically long, and each of his strides seemed to equal two of Popuri's. It looked like his limbs had grown faster than the rest of him, which set him quite a few inches above me. Popuri, who was shorter than me, exaggerated his height even further. His hair was grown out and shaggy and his glasses were as big as ever, magnifying his eyes. The two siblings would look like some kind of comedic duo if they stood next to each other; the cute little sister with her gangly, awkward older brother. Genetics sure are impressive sometimes.

It seemed to take ages for the two of them to reach me, and then suddenly everything was a flurry of action.

"Claire!" Popuri chirped again as soon as she was in front of me. Rick was there a second later.

"Here, I'll take your bags," he said, reaching out his hands towards me. I noticed they were covered in calluses, probably from farm work.

"S-sure," I mumbled, feeling a little overwhelmed. I handed over my things, which had felt like they weighed a ton when I was carrying them, and he shouldered them all with ease.

"Oh my gosh! How are you?" Popuri squealed, pressing her hands to her face like she couldn't contain herself. "It's been so long!"

"Yeah," I managed, studying them both carefully. I wondered how much they knew, if they even knew why I had come back after all this time. Would she still be as cheerful if she knew I didn't even want to be here?

_Probably,_ I thought. Popuri had always been one to be bright and cheery no matter what, mostly because she was a tad on the naïve side.

"I'm so sorry we're late," she continued, totally oblivious to my lack of enthusiasm. She linked her arm with mine and started pulling me along, Rick following along right behind us. "I got the ferry times mixed up and just realized the mistake. Oops! But you're here now and that's what matters. Oh my gosh. This is so great!" I let her ramble, because I didn't have anything to say. I was truly speechless. Not to mention I was waiting to figure out how much they really did know.

"Popuri, take it easy," scolded Rick, cutting her off in mid-gush. _Thank you,_ I thought silently, my mouth twitching in a smile in spite of myself. Popuri didn't notice and instead switched over to arguing with her brother.

"Gosh, Rick, you could at least be a little more excited that Claire is here," she retorted, clutching me a little tighter. I bit back a sigh.

"Or maybe you could be a little less."

"Guys," I broke in reflexively, mediating the way I used to when we were kids and they would start to fight. It was eerie, really, how little things had changed. It wasn't just Rick and Popuri; it was the whole town. Everything looked the same.

_Except for that guy on the beach,_ I remembered. _He certainly wasn't here before._

All three of us fell silent, even Popuri, as Chicken Lil's came into sight. I felt a bundle of nerves in my stomach suddenly tighten. The panic that I'd been distracted from was coming back quickly.

_There's nothing to be afraid of. It's just Chicken Lil's, for God's sake._

Rick held the door open for Popuri and I, our arms still locked tightly. I resisted the urge to squirm away now that we were inside.

"Mom! Claire's here!" Popuri shouted happily, finally releasing me. I let out a sigh of relief and rubbed my arm instinctively.

"There's no need to yell," Rick grumbled, tromping past us with my bags in tow. He had a point: Lillia was sitting right at the table, smiling at us over a cup of tea. I could feel the sweat on my forehead just looking at the steaming hot beverage. _Yikes,_ I thought. _Who could drink that in this weather?_

And then I remembered. I had been young then, but I had known that Lillia was sick. Nothing to keep her bedridden, but she rarely left the house, and she often got the chills. Unfortunately, it looked like her condition hadn't improved any.

"I'll put your bags in Popuri's room," Rick called down to me as he made his way up the stairs.

"'Kay," I answered hesitantly, and it dawned on me that they didn't have a guest room. Which meant I'd be sharing with Popuri, obviously. Fun.

"Claire honey, it's so nice to see you," Lillia greeted me, giving me a warm smile. She was the same too, except her pink hair seemed just a slight shade grayer since I last saw her.

"Yeah, you too," I replied, smiling before I could stop myself. Lillia had always felt like a second mom to me. _Maybe she would be more understanding…_

"Popuri, if it's okay, I'd like to talk to Claire alone," Lillia said gently to her daughter. Her smile remained, but I could tell something was up. _Or not._

"Sure!" Popuri chimed, totally oblivious. She gave my arm a little squeeze and then disappeared up the stairs. Lillia waited until her footsteps faded until she addressed me again.

"Please, Claire, sit down," she said, touching the chair beside her. I obeyed, dropping down into the seat slowly.

"Did you eat lunch?" she asked, setting her cup down and giving me her undivided attention. I felt the nerves bunch up again.

"Y-yeah. I ate a packed lunch during the ferry ride." I glanced over at their clock and saw it was half past one. I found that my fists were clenched and tried to relax them, staring down at my fingers.

"Claire, it's been a long time. Your mother told me why you stopped coming."

I waited, unsure of how to answer that.

"But she didn't tell me the details of why you came back now. I'll respect your privacy. However, she did tell me that you were here on punishment."

I rolled my eyes at that, unable to stop myself. I could feel another sensation underneath my nerves: guilt. As much as I hated having to be there, I knew that Lillia was only trying to be nice and acting so irritated only made me look like a brat.

"Although I want you to be as comfortable as possible, I can't forget that. So, as I'm sure you already know, you'll be doing some chores on the farm in the mornings and the evenings. Rick will help you out."

_Lucky me,_ I thought cynically. _Although it's better than having to spend that time with Popuri._

It made me feel a little guilty again, thinking those ugly thoughts while sitting right next to Lillia. But I couldn't help it, and wasn't like I cared enough to stop.

Instead, I forced what I hoped looked like a polite expression. "Thank you, Lillia."

She smiled, but something in her eyes looked a little sad. "You're welcome. And Claire, if you ever want to talk about anything…"

"Right," I said quickly, not even wanting to hear the rest of that (in my opinion) utterly ludicrous, impossible suggestion. Lillia seemed to recognize this and patted my hand. Her skin felt strangely cool.

"All right. If you'd like, I'm sure Popuri's waiting for you in her room."

I nodded in response. "Sure," I said, the chair making a muffled scraping sound as I stood up and headed for the stairs. I half-expected Lillia to say something, bestow some motherly wisdom upon me before I ascended the steps, but she kept quiet as I exited.

My hand closed around the smooth, wooden banister, the same one I'd gripped almost every day of those summers past. Again, that ghostly feeling of sameness was haunting me.

x x x

"It's just like when we were kids! I'm so excited!" Popuri chattered, plopping down on her bed.

"Mm-hmm," I grunted, sitting down cross-legged on the floor and pulling one of my bags into my lap. I unzipped it and stared inside, not because I needed anything but I wanted to look busy so that maybe Popuri would finally leave me alone.

"I guess you'll have to sleep on the floor then. Would you like to borrow some of my blankets? And pillows? Or we could just share my bed—"

"No," I blurted, and she stopped, her smile fading. I felt that guilt scratch at the back of my brain, so I hastily added, "I brought my own sleeping bag."

"Okay!" she replied, her happiness immediately returning as if someone had flipped a switch. I let out a small sigh. This was going to be exhausting.

The room grew quiet, and I zipped my bag shut and tried to start up conversation again. "So, um, Popuri?"

"Yes?"

I shifted in my place on the floor, feeling inexplicably self-conscious now. "I met this guy on the beach today…"

"Oooh, you must mean Kai!" she cried, her smile spreading all the way across her face now.

I hadn't been expecting such an…enthusiastic response. "Uh, I guess?" I didn't think it would be appropriate to ask, _do you mean the wannabe pirate beach bum with the cheesy purple bandana?_

She turned suddenly shy then, picking at an invisible thread on her comforter. "Listen, don't tell Rick, but…he's kind of my boyfriend."

Okay, now this was just weird. I blinked, not really sure what to say next. "Um, yeah, sure. But, why can't I tell him?" I was trying to piece things together. I was sure the guy at the beach looked like, twenty. At least. Which I guess wasn't too big an age difference, but still. Which might explain why Rick wouldn't be too happy about it…

Now Popuri pouted, a scowl crossing her face. "He always gets so mad. He hates Kai."

"Why would he hate Kai?"

"Jealousy," she answered matter-of-factly, crossing her arms and sticking her nose in the air.

"Huh? Why would he be jealous?" I found myself feeling ridiculously curious about this turn of events, despite their trivialness.

Popuri shrugged. "I guess because all the women in town are like, totally in love with him. And Karen drinks with him sometimes. But it's not that big a deal. And he's my boyfriend," she said, her pride evident with the last statement. "He started coming here last year. He only stays for the summers. He asked me out just before he left last summer. He's the best."

"Uh," I said, trying to get back on track before she went off on a tangent. "Anyways, how old is this guy?"

"Nineteen. Rick acts like that's such a big age difference, but I don't think it is. Do _you_ think it is?" I opened my mouth to answer but shut it when I realized it was a rhetorical question. "I mean, it's not. But he still throws a fit about it. Mom doesn't even care. Rick's so old-fashioned." She scrunched up her nose, illustrating her displeasure with her older brother's overprotective nature.

Just then, there was a knocking sound, and we both turned to see Rick standing in her doorway. "Stop telling Claire weird things," he chided, but I could tell he hadn't heard everything Popuri had just said.

"What do you want?" Popuri asked, throwing a pillow at him. It fell short, landing a few feet from its target.

"I'm going out for a bit, so make sure you watch over Mom," he told her, giving her a stern look before walking away.

"Yeah, yeah!" she called after him, and then turned back to me. "He's just saying that so I won't go out and visit Kai. Mom doesn't need to be 'watched.'"

"Mm," I intoned, knowing that she wasn't really looking for a reply. I was a quick learner.

"Anyway, so you've already met Kai?" she asked, abruptly changing the subject and swinging the focus onto me.

I paused before I answered. "Um, I guess you could say that…" I wasn't really sure _what_ to call my brief exchange with him. There hadn't been any introductions, and we hadn't really talked about anything in particular.

Popuri took no notice of my uncertainty. "Isn't he the greatest? I'm hanging out with him tomorrow, you've got to come with me!"

I tried to keep my face from looking too horror-struck. For starters, I wasn't in the mood to _hang out_ with anyone, and least of all Popuri and Kai at the same time.

"I-I dunno, I think I'm supposed to be helping Rick with chores," I stammered, unable to come up with anything on the spot but a pathetic, lame excuse. I could see her excitement falter.

"Oh, that'll only be in the morning," she whined, putting on a playful pout. "Please? I want you and Kai to be friends."

_Why?_ I immediately thought. _And I don't want to, anyway. _"Oh…okay. That sounds…great."

She beamed at me, clapping her hands together. "I know, right? This is going to be amazing. The best summer ever!"

I tried my hardest to twist my grimace into a smile. "Yep," I said through my teeth.

Popuri giggled, and then suddenly a worried expression crossed her face. "Wait, what time is it right now?"

"Um, I think it's almost two by now…why?"

She jumped up off her bed and headed straight for the door. "I totally forgot! I have to go pick up Mom's medicine. I'm sorry, Claire, I'll be back in like, ten minutes. Okay?"

"Sure, that's fine," I replied promptly, feeling a little relieved. It wasn't like I felt too tortured talking to her, but I did feel a lot less pressured now. "I'll be here."

Popuri smiled at me and gave a little wave before disappearing around the corner. "Ten minutes!" she called, and I didn't bother to respond that time.

Instead, I pushed my bag out of my lap and set it behind me, resting my head back on it. I stared up at the ceiling and sighed, puffing a few stray hairs out of my face.

_Better get used to the view._

x x x_  
_


	2. Chapter 2

After a long wait, here is chapter two. It actually hasn't been edited yet, so I can't vouch for its level of presentability. If there are any weird typos (I tend to make a lot of them) please let me know :D

Anyways, I like this chapter. Things start happening, like the plot. Of course, those of you who are waiting to find out more about why Claire got sent to Mineral Town will have to wait a bit longer, haha. Sorry.

Before I started this fic, I hated Rick, but as I began to write it I suddenly liked him a lot. I tried to put a different spin on him that made him more appealing for me and hopefully for those who are reading this, too.

I've been grappling with the beginning of chapter three lately--I've got almost the whole chapter the written but I'm not satisfied with the opening scene. So basically, I'm not sure how soon I'll update again. Please be patient! All right, that's enough of my talking. Enjoy, and please please please and thank you for reviewing! :D

**Chapter 2**

Popuri didn't take ten minutes. Or twenty. Or an hour. No, Popuri still hadn't shown up and by then it was six. I was sitting at the dining room table on the verge of throwing a screaming fit out of sheer boredom. When I first wandered downstairs, Lillian tried to make small talk, but when it was clear I wasn't interested she went back to reading her book. I considered going out for a walk, but I felt pissed off and hot and tired, and besides, where would I go? And what if bumped into Kai, or even worse, Popuri?

So I stayed and waited. And waited. And waited.

My patience was wearing thin, almost threadbare now. It wasn't like I was waiting for Popuri to show up and entertain me, but still, she said she'd be back. Not to mention I kind of felt like a loser just sitting there doing nothing. So where the hell did she go?

The more I sat there stewing, the madder I got. And I wasn't just angry at Popuri, I was mad at my mom, too, and at myself for getting caught and shipped off to this place. My whole summer would've been so different if I hadn't made one stupid mistake.

"Hmm, I'll have to start dinner soon," Lillian mused aloud, marking her page and shutting the book. Her words snapped me out of my thoughts. "Where did Popuri and Rick run off to?"

"Popuri said she's getting your medicine," I offered, hoping Lillian would be able to come up with an explanation as to why that errand would take so long.

"She'd better hurry up or the clinic will be closed," she laughed, getting to her feet and heading to the kitchen. "Claire, will you help me set the table? I think we're having spaghetti."

I felt my annoyance suddenly fizzle out, my energy drained by defeat. "'Kay," I said, standing up and going to the drawers. It was strange how my mind still knew exactly where the silverware was without even having to think about it. I counted out the forks and then reached for the knives.

As I was getting the plates, the front door opened and both of us looked over instantly to see who it was.

"Hey, everyone," Rick said, by way of greeting as he walked over to his mother's side. I watched as he looked over Lillian's shoulder (he towered over her, too) and peered into the pot of water that was just barely starting to bubble. "Where's Popuri?"

"She's still out, she's been gone since…when did she leave, Claire?" Lillian directed her question at me as I set a place for the four of us at the table.

"Um, around two," I answered, feeling timid when they both turned to look at me.

"Right, two," Lillian echoed, looking back at Rick. "She's probably off with Kai, then."

"Figures," Rick said, a sour look clouding his face. Neither of them seemed to be too surprised.

I, however, felt differently. The plate I was holding banged against the table. "Sorry," I mumbled, setting it down more gently. _'She's probably off with Kai'? Excuse me? What the hell? What happened to getting Lillian's medicine? And coming back in ten minutes?_

"Oh, Claire," Rick said, like he was just remembering I was there. "D'you mind coming outside with me for a bit?"

I gave him a curious look, but Lillian spoke before I could say anything. "That's perfect. She was just finishing setting the table. Right, Claire?"

"Right," I replied, a little uncertainly. I set down my last utensils and followed Rick, who was already at the door.

"We're going to be putting the chickens back inside, okay?" Rick said to me over his shoulder, crossing across the dirt yard to where all the chickens were fenced in, squawking and rustling their feathers noisily.

My pace slowed down a bit. "Ah," I said, realizing what was happening. This was just another part of my punishment, only in disguise. As if being trapped inside a house with no entertainment for four hours wasn't enough. Oh, no. Of course it wasn't. Now I had to do the actual stuff I was here for: work.

I watched him hop over the fence into the mob of poultry. I stayed where I was, about a foot from the enclosure.

"All we have to do is herd them into the…" he started, trailing off when he saw I hadn't joined him. I stood there defiantly, daring him to tell me what to do. He was three years older than me, but I doubted that he had it in him to boss me around. As inflexible as he was with Popuri, I knew he was really a pushover—especially when it came to everyone else of the opposite sex, and that included me.

We stared at each other a few moments longer before I was satisfied I was home free, and then I asked, "So, how are things?"

His eyes held mine for a few more seconds before he turned away in defeat and unlatched the door to the coop, stepping aside to make room for the chickens. "They've been fine, I guess. But I'm more curious about you. Like why you came back."

I dodged his question as gracefully as I could with another question. "How's it going with Karen?"

The effect of my question was immediate and visible. His whole body stiffened, starting with his shoulders and traveling all the way down to his toes. For a second, I imagined giving him a little push and watching him fall right over, rigid as a board. But his reaction quickly passed and he cleared his throat.

"She's fine," he answered, obviously trying to sound casual but failing. I tried not to laugh as to not hurt his feelings. I could still remember how he'd had the biggest crush on her, turning into a puddle of anxiety and stuttered words whenever he came within her vicinity.

"Did you ever ask her out?" I pressed, shocked at my own boldness. Really, I knew it wasn't any of my business. Rick and I had been friends, but that was a long time ago, and when we were little. Things were different now.

Rick stopped herding the chickens to sigh gloomily. "Nope," he muttered, staring down at the dirt. I felt bad for bringing it up then, so I decided to change the subject.

"So what's the story with Kai?" I asked, resting my hands on the fence post as he ushered the last chicken into the coop.

He perked up again, although I could sense his energy boost was caused by irritation. "Oh, don't even get me started on him," he groaned, bumping his head on the door as he shut it to exaggeratedly show his exasperation.

"I have to say, I did find him annoying."

Rick smiled wryly as he locked the door. "That makes two of us, then." I laughed as he swung himself back over the fence and stood a few feet away from me.

"Out of curiosity, why do you hate him?" I asked, turning to face him. Rick looked off into the distance, shielding his eyes from the stubborn summer sun that hovered just above the horizon.

"Probably the same reason you do. He's arrogant, egotistical, obnoxious. And he's after my sister."

"Hmm, someone sounds a little jealous," I teased, remembering what Popuri had said. Except I instantly regretted saying it because it came out kind of mean. I watched as I wiped the smile right off of his face, totally killing the atmosphere.

"I'm not jealous," he said bluntly, staring at me. I opened my mouth to say something, although I didn't know exactly what, when the sound of Popuri's voice cut me off.

"Hi, guys!" she shouted, and we both looked over at her as she ran up to us, waving. I could see what looked like a paper bag that would hold a prescription in her hand. As soon as she saw me, she slowed to a stop a couple yards away.

"Oh my gosh. Claire. I…I totally forgot," she stammered, her apology written on her bright red face. "I'm so sorry. I—"

"Where've you been?" Rick broke in, his eyes narrowed. Popuri's arms crossed, and I could sense the sibling storm brewing.

"Hey, dinner's probably ready by now," I said quickly, trying to diffuse the tension. "How about we go check?"

The two glared at each other a few moments longer before Rick mumbled, "Whatever," under his breath and stomped off towards the house. I saw Popuri roll her eyes out of the corner of my eye and then take a deep breath.

"Claire. I'm really, really sorry. I didn't mean to forget, but I ran into Kai—I wasn't expecting to, honest. I thought he'd be busy running his restaurant. He has a restaurant on the beach, by the way. But, anyway, I got distracted, and then—"

_Too much information,_ I thought. I held up a hand, forcing a weak smile. "It's okay, Popuri. Let's just go eat."

She looked at me a little longer, a worried look pinching her features, before she let out a tiny sigh and smiled in relief. "Okay. Thanks, Claire."

We walked back towards the house in silence. _What a day,_ I thought.

And it wasn't even over yet. I still had to survive dinner, and then, finally, I'd be off to bed, with my first day behind me.

Or so I thought.

x x x

That night, I set up my sleeping bag on the floor of Popuri's bedroom, averting my eyes as she changed into her pajamas. I had opted to change in the bathroom.

"Are you sure you're still not mad at me for earlier?" she asked, tugging down the hem of her girlish nightgown. I looked up at her and nodded.

"Don't worry about it, Popuri," I said, trying to sound reassuring. "I'm over it." And I really was. I was still miserable overall, though.

She bit her lip, looking doubtful. "Will you still come with me to hang out with Kai tomorrow?" She jutted out her lip, obviously trying to win me over.

_Crap. I'd forgotten about that._ "Uh…I guess…" I answered, forcing my shoulders to stop drooping.

"Yay! It'll be fun, I promise. And besides, I want to make it up for you," she said eagerly, like spending a day with her and Kai would be a treat.

I slid into my sleeping bag then, attempting to put an end to the conversation. "Okay," I yawned, feigning a sleepy look. "Wow, I feel so tired all of a sudden. I think I'm going to sleep."

"Oh," Popuri said, looking disappointed. What was she expecting, a sleepover? "Good night, then."

"Yeah," I murmured, letting my lids slide closed. I wasn't tired at all, to be honest, but I hoped my act would work.

Apparently it did, because she clicked off the light and I heard her settle in under her blankets. I took a deep breath, and opened my eyes, staring into the near darkness.

Now just to fall asleep, I thought, turning over onto my side. _Which will basically be impossible._

_x x x  
_

I woke up with a jolt in the darkened room for seemingly no reason at all. I couldn't remember hearing any noise that would've woken me, but now I felt wide awake.

I sat up, my sleeping bag rustling as I did so. I squinted at the faintly glowing digital alarm clock by Popuri's bed. It said that it was just after midnight. So I'd barely slept.

I sighed irritably and fell back onto my pillow, ready to try to fall asleep again, when suddenly got this imaginary tugging sensation that made me sit up again. The feeling pulled me to feet and led me to the door.

_I'll get water or something,_ I told myself, opening the door as quietly as possible. I didn't feel that uncomfortable walking around the house in the middle of the night; back during the summers I had slept over a couple of times. But this time it felt a little different, because I couldn't shake that weird feeling of restlessness that made me get up in the first place.

I reached the top of the stairs before I heard the voices that made me freeze. One I could tell belonged to Lillian; as for the other one, I couldn't quite put my finger on its owner.

However, I knew without a doubt that it was a male voice.

I glanced over my shoulder, down the hall. Popuri's door was opened a crack like I'd left it, and Rick's door was shut. Lillian's door was ajar. I swallowed and turned my attention back to the voices, my desire to figure out who the late night visitor was outweighing my conscience telling me that I shouldn't eavesdrop.

The words were muffled from where I was standing, so I sucked in a breath and started to descend the stairs. I moved painfully slowly, millimeters at a time. Even though I didn't feel bad about listening in I still didn't want to get caught.

"I wish I didn't have to keep it from them, but I know it wouldn't go over well…" This was Lillian. I pressed myself closer to the wall. All I had to do was kneel down and I'd be able to see through the railing into the dining room where she and the mystery man were talking.

"I'm sure they would understand, Lillian. It's been a long time." His voice was definitely familiar, but I still couldn't place it. It was a voice I hadn't heard for a while, not since the last time I'd been here…

Lillian sighed, sounding tired and sad. "But it's their father, Zack. They still love him no matter how long he's been gone. I can't tell them, I just can't."

My jaw dropped as soon as I heard his name. I dropped into a crouch and peered through the rails of the banister, and—sure enough, it was Zack. The two were standing close together, Lillian looking down at the floor and Zack watching her with a cautious look. But why was he there? What would he need to discuss with her at this hour?

My question was answered seconds later when Zack leaned forward and whispered, "I know," before taking her chin in his hand and kissing her tenderly.

Both of my hands flew to my mouth, stifling my gasp. There was just no way. I wanted so badly to erase what I'd witnessed, wishing I had just stayed in my sleeping bag instead. Not that their kiss was that gross—although it kind of was—but it was so _wrong_. How was I supposed to face Lillian tomorrow? Or even worse, Popuri and Rick? I knew their dad had been gone for a long time, since before I'd ever come to Mineral Town for the first time, but he was still married to her.

And let's just say I had a higher-than-usual disgust towards spouses who cheated. Not that I could hate Lillian. I just couldn't believe what she'd done.

I got to my feet and ran up the stairs as swiftly and quietly as possible. When I slipped back into the shadows of Popuri's bedroom, I felt a sudden tiredness drop down on my body like a blanket. I crawled into the opening of my sleeping bag and pulled it up to my chin.

In the safety of my own cocoon, it seemed like I could almost write off everything I'd seen off as a dream. Almost, but not quite.

x x x

"Come on Claire, it's time to get up! Get up, get up!"

My eyes fluttered open, squinting up at the form of Popuri standing over me and already fully dressed. She nudged my side with my foot.

"Get up, sleepyhead," she said, stepping over me as soon as she saw that I was awake. "Rick's probably waiting for you to help with the morning chores."

"'Kay," I answered, my mouth feeling dry. My heart picked up the same quick pace it had been at the night before as I remembered what had happened. I was surprised that I'd been able to relax enough to even fall asleep.

I waited until she left the room before I sat up, running a hand through my bed hair and trying to flatten it. After a minute or so of unsuccessful attempts to get my fingers through the snarls I gave up and rummaged through my bag to find my brush. Then I changed out of my pajamas and, satisfied with my appearance, I went downstairs to join everyone else.

"Good morning," Lillian said, smiling at me as I entered the dining room. The smell of eggs frying was strong and I could hear the pan sizzling as I sat down. Rick was the one doing the cooking while Popuri and Lillian waited for the food at the table. I took the chair next to Popuri and across from Lillian.

"Morning," I said weakly, giving her a feeble smile. I could feel my cheeks heat up just looking at her, but I couldn't bring myself to look at Popuri or Rick either, so I instead let my eyes wander down the table's surface. I listened to Popuri and Lillian chat with each other, paying special attention to Lillian's mannerisms. I tried to detect something different, something that showed she had seen me or knew what I found out, but she acted just like she always did, calm and pleasant and warm. It made me feel even worse somehow, like I had betrayed her trust.

_Too late now._ My stomach squirmed when Rick set the plate full of food down in front of me. I had no appetite, but I tried to go through the motions as to not arouse suspicion. As soon as I'd finished the last bite, making myself swallow, Rick said, "If you're done, let's go let the chickens out."

It took me a second to realize he was talking to me, and I slowly raised my head to meet his eyes. I could tell by his stony expression that he was still pissed off at me about our last conversation. I knew well how Rick could hold a grudge.

I nodded, getting to my feet and following him out the door. When we got outside, I walked a little faster than him, beating him to the fence and reaching the coop door before he did. I could feel his eyes on me as I undid the hatch without a word and started coaxing them outside. I felt obligated to make it up to him, so I figured that actually helping him this time would the best way.

When Rick didn't join me right away, I thought he was leaving me to do it all by myself, but then I saw he was just getting the sacks of chicken feed to start scattering around the chicken yard.

"Sorry about not helping you yesterday," I finally said, feeling like I should at least say something after a while passed in silence. I wasn't just apologizing for that, of course, but my pride got in the way of saying anything more.

He set the sack down and dusted off his hands, glancing up at me. "Hm? Oh, that? I'm not mad anymore." I smiled and shook my head, wondering how true that was. But he did seem sincere enough; his moody aura had basically vanished. It lifted one tiny weight off my shoulders, only to remind me of the second one, the bigger one, the secret one that involved his mom.

"Um, Rick?" I began timidly, mustering up the courage to tell him what I'd seen. He blinked and looked over at me, grinning as he adjusted his glasses.

"Sorry, I guess I spaced out there. We're done here, you can go ahead and do whatever you want," he said, hoisting the sack onto his shoulder.

"No, no, it's not that. There's something I need to tell you…" I chewed my lip, pondering the right words. There was really no way to break this kind of news.

He stopped, giving me a curious look. "What is it?"

"I…um…Popuri invited me to hang out with her and Kai today," I blurted instead, chickening out at the last minute. _God, why did I even want to tell him in the first place?_

Rick's expression darkened instantly, his brow creasing. He seemed annoyed at the mention of Kai, but confused as to why I brought it up. "Well, you don't have to go if you don't want to. You know how pushy Popuri can be. Just say no."

"R-right, thanks," I mumbled as he passed me, scratching my neck nervously. It was probably better to just stay quiet about the whole thing.

"Claire! I'm ready to go now, if you guys are done!" I turned towards Popuri's voice. She was just stepping out of the house, bursting with energy as usual.

"Yeah, we're done," I said, feeling like such a faker as I smiled and hopped over the fence to meet her. Not saying anything about what I'd seen was going to be much harder than I thought.

x x x


	3. Chapter 3

Hello everyone :D I got impatient again, so it's another unedited chapter. Although apparently (according to those of you that review) last chapter wasn't so bad, so I'm hoping this one won't be either. Still not satisfied with the opening scene, but what can you do? Sorry for the wait. This one's even longer than the last.

I, um, actually don't have chapter 4 even started, and I usually like to be at least halfway done with the next chapter before I post something. Ah well, summer vacation's nearly here, and I have a feeling most of my free time then will be devoted to fan fic writing, haha :) So, see you guys...in a month, I suppose. Thank you for reading, and please review!

* * *

**Chapter 3**

"Oh my gosh, Claire. I can't wait for you to meet him. You are going to _love_ Kai, I just know it. Everyone does," Popuri gushed, brimming with excitement as she yanked me along towards the beach. I let her with little resistance, flopping around behind her like a rag doll.

_Everyone except Rick and me,_ I said silently. Out loud, I reminded her, "I already met him, remember? Yesterday. When I first got here."

"Oh yeah," she said, not slowing her breakneck pace. "Well, now you'll meet each other properly."

I sighed audibly, not even bothering to hide my annoyance any longer, but she didn't even notice. She was too caught up in her thoughts of Kai.

As soon as our shoes hit the sand she let go of my hand and skipped happily ahead of me. I dragged my feet, in no hurry to catch up. I followed her to a little shack with a cheery but rather beaten up sign that read "Seaside Lodge." _Lodge_ seemed a bit pretentious, if you asked me; the tiny, weatherworn hut in front of me looked like little more than one of those stalls found at carnivals. When I got close enough I saw it had a menu posted behind the counter, which consisted entirely of typical snacks of the summer variety: popcorn, hotdogs, snow cones, pizza. However, I found I wasn't very hungry as soon as I saw Kai standing on the other side of the counter.

He was talking to Popuri with a big smirk plastered on his face, the same one he'd had the day before. I wondered if it was a permanent condition. "Hey!" he cried as soon as he noticed me. "It's the _kind of_ new girl!" I remembered our first encounter and winced. He was acting like we had an inside joke or something.

Popuri smiled, although it was the kind of smile someone has when they don't quite know what's going on. "Her name's Claire," she told him, smiling brightly and gesturing for me to get closer.

I stepped forward, figuring it was my cue, but I didn't want to get any closer than necessary. I tried to keep under the shade of the tiny, flimsy roof that stuck out about a foot or so from the shack—or rather, _lodge._

"Right, Popuri told me about you yesterday when she stopped by," Kai said, locking his eyes with mine as he stretched his hand across the counter. He smelled like salt and cotton candy, which was a very odd and almost dizzying combination. "I'm afraid we never really introduced ourselves. As I'm sure you know by now, I'm Kai."

"Yeah," I said, trying to remain indifferent as I took his hand and shook. His fingers held mine for just a few seconds too long, so I pulled away, wrinkling my nose at him. He laughed it off.

Popuri appeared to be totally oblivious to the weirdness between Kai and I. "This summer is going to be so much fun! We'll be able to hang out every day!"

"Yeah," Kai agreed, smiling at her and then at me. "I'm looking forward to getting to know you, Claire."

I smiled right back, as poisonously as I could. "Oh, what's there to know? I'm sure Popuri's said enough."

"Nonsense. I'm especially curious as to what made you come here in the first place." He leaned forward with his chin in his hand, like he was just waiting on me to tell him everything, but I could tell in his eyes he was making fun of me.

My smile tightened and I tried to hastily evade his question. "Oh, but that's so boring. I'd much rather know about you. What made you come to Mineral Town? Popuri told me that you started coming her last summer." I felt like I was babbling, but I couldn't help it. I was grasping for a way to outwit him and wasn't coming up with much.

His expression clouded for a moment, returning to its usual smirk so quickly I thought I'd imagined it. "I like it here," he replied vaguely, not really even answering my question. He didn't give me enough time to dwell on it, however, before clapping his hands together and asking loudly, "Are you guys hungry?"

"Yay!" Popuri cheered, clasping her hands as he reached back behind him. Moments later he produced two snow cones and held them out for us.

"Thanks, Kai!" she said happily, taking hers and digging in right away. I took mine, nodding stiffly.

"Try it," he said, when I didn't start eating right away. He winked, like he was trying to be charming. "I make really good snow cones."

I rolled my eyes. As if it really took some special skill to make snow cones. I took a bite anyway, and found it hard not to savor the delicious coldness of the treat. As annoying as it was to even think it, it _was_ pretty good.

"So Claire, you're going to come with me to the swimming festival the day after tomorrow, right?" Popuri said, nudging me with her arm.

I raised an eyebrow at her question. I'd actually completely forgotten about the festival, but as soon as she mentioned it it brought back the memories of all the men in town standing around in trunks and Speedos showing off their macho abilities by flailing in the water. The saddest part was that it had actually been thrilling when I was younger.

"Sure, I guess," I answered, shrugging. "If I'm not helping out with chores or whatever." But that was just another one of my lame excuses to try to get out of going somewhere.

Popuri pouted. "Aw, c'mon Claire, even Rick takes a break to compete. Remember when we were little?"

"Yeah, it's not like you're their slave or anything, right?" Kai put in, his eyes glittering mockingly at me. My jaw tensed.

"Fine, then. I'll be there," I answered, lifting my chin as I stared right back at him with the most defiant look I could muster.

"Great," he chuckled, looking over at Popuri. "Then you'll get to see me kick Rick's ass." Popuri giggled, which made me _really_ roll my eyes. Couldn't she stand up for her own brother? If she wasn't going to, I would, if only to spite Kai.

I paused, and when I finally replied I spoke as calmly as I could, clearly enunciating every word. "I'd like to see you try."

Nothing compared to the satisfaction I felt when I wiped that smirk right off his face, even if it was just for a few moments.

* * *

After a grueling twenty or thirty minutes of watching Popuri fruitlessly try to flirt with Kai, who in turn kept shooting me weird stares and asking me suggestive questions, I finally managed to drag Popuri away with the excuse that I wanted to visit everyone else in town and catch up with them.

I didn't, of course, but it was the only way to put an end to my misery, and thankfully Popuri complied after only a little reluctance. We said our goodbyes to Kai and were on our way back to the town from the beach.

"Kai seemed kind of weird," I offered, after several minutes of silence of walking aimlessly through the town. "Was he feeling okay?" I'd just remembered that Popuri was his girlfriend, although he certainly hadn't acted like it. Maybe they'd had a fight and that's why he was acting like a creep. Although it seemed more like Popuri was vying for his attention and he kept brushing her off to engage in a battle of wits with me.

Popuri brought her thumbnail to her lips, chewing it lightly as a troubled expression worked its way onto her face. She stayed quiet.

"Popuri? What's up?" I prodded, puzzled by her sudden distraught behavior.

She sighed, dropping her hand as her shoulders drooped. "I've got something to confess," she admitted, averting her eyes towards the ground.

_Uh-oh._ I couldn't imagine what it was she needed to tell me, but I wasn't sure I wanted to hear it. "What is it?" I asked tentatively, watching her closely.

"Kai's not really my boyfriend," she blurted, and then her cheeks burned bright red. "I lied when I told you he was."

"Wh—wait, what?" I stuttered, her admission throwing me for a loop. "What are you talking about?"

She mistook my surprise for anger. She tore her eyes away from her feet to look at me shame-facedly. "I know, I know! I'm really sorry. I felt bad ever since I told you. But it's the truth. He's not my boyfriend."

Frankly, it wasn't that hard to believe that they weren't together. Kai had shown her nothing but a superficial affection—and that was something he'd extended to me, too. But I was more confused about why she would lie in the first place. I asked her this.

She sighed again, looking back down. "I don't know. I guess I want it so badly to be true. You remember the annual fireworks festival, right?"

I nodded wordlessly, wondering how this could possibly to relate to what we were talking about.

"Well…Kai never asked to be my girlfriend last summer, but he _did_ ask me to see the fireworks with him. And, I don't know, I guess I thought it meant something, you know? But then he left the week after once summer was over, and then when he got back…I mean, it's not like he's avoiding me or anything, but….he's always giving me free food and compliments, and then suddenly one he'll start acting all indifferent, like he hates me. I don't know what to think!" She punctuated her rambling monologue with another sigh, her petite frame slumping even further.

"He doesn't hate you," I said, the words popping out of my mouth without me even thinking about them. "Um, at least, he _probably_ doesn't…" Even though she looked pretty pathetic, it was hard to summon any real sympathy seeing as how I kind of despised the guy and all.

"It's okay," she answered gloomily, clearly proving it wasn't. Suddenly she cheered up slightly, a tiny smile brightening her face. "I know! How about we go visit Karen?" She said it like it was the best idea she'd had in a while.

I shrugged, weirded out by her constant mood swings but not even questioning it anymore. "Um, sure."

* * *

I hated that I couldn't just say no. _You don't have to go if you don't want to,_ Rick had told me. And I definitely didn't want to be dragged around by Popuri any longer. I'd had enough. And yet, for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to do it. It wasn't like I was concerned for her feelings. But the amount of effort that would go into refusing and the high probability that she'd get all moody and crestfallen was exhausting just to think about.

It wasn't worth it, or at least that's what I told myself. But it was kind of hard to be convincing the closer the two of us got to the supermarket and the bigger my headache grew.

I didn't have anything against Karen per say, but she was one of those girls that almost every member of the female population was conditioned to hate, if only because of her perfection. And of course, she probably would've been easier to tolerate had she been a little less _conscious_ of her beauty. Though Popuri was cute and delicate and would probably get asked out on a lot more dates if she lived anywhere but Mineral Town where there were so few guys, she was also blissfully unaware of her own prettiness—whereas Karen was downright, drop dead, in-your-face stunning, and she knew it just as well as everyone else.

Rick had fallen for her hard, like any guy would, and judging from his reaction to my question from the previous day he'd had little luck in getting over her. It was a little sad, really; Karen had always treated him like a sibling, and he went along with it, following her around like a puppy dog. I hoped for his sake he'd learned to be slightly less pathetic.

The supermarket came into view, as well as Karen lounging on the bench just outside the building with Rick at her side (big surprise). The red battered mailbox standing close by, looking like it hadn't been pried open for years, reminded me of my mother's half-hearted request before I left. _Write me a letter or two, okay?_ she'd suggested, with that nervous smile she got whenever she knew something she said was going to earn her a glare and a moody silence from me. And it had.

"Is that Claire?" Karen suddenly called out, squinting against the sun at Popuri and me. She sat up, craning her neck to get a better look. "It is, isn't it? Rick told me you were here!"

I smiled and lifted a hand to reluctantly wave. We reached the two on the bench and came to a stop.

"You've gotten pale," Karen observed, looking me up and down. It made me shift uncomfortably in acknowledgement of my own inadequacy even though I knew she was just teasing me. "But I'm sure you'll be all gorgeous and tan in a week."

_Pfft, me, gorgeous,_ I scoffed silently. The was made even more ridiculous coming from her. For some reason my gaze slid over to Rick, who'd been quiet. I don't know what I was expecting, but he had eyes for Karen only. Typical.

Not that I could really blame him. Karen looked effortlessly amazing, as usual. She was wearing an itty-bitty pair of short shorts, which made her endless legs seem even more endless than usual. Her plain white t-shirt revealed just a bit of her stomach when she slouched in her seat, as well a lot of her cleavage, and her naturally highlighted hair was swept over one shoulder. In other words, she was showing skin—lots of flawless, tanned skin—and I felt that instinctual jealousy stir softly in my stomach.

"Hey, Rick, shouldn't you been at home with Mom?" This was from Popuri. Leave it to her to start a fight with her brother the second he comes into view.

Rick rolled his eyes, her question being enough to take his focus off of Karen. "No, she's fine. We've left her alone for a little while before, you know that. Besides, she's been in a better mood lately."

_I wonder why,_ I thought, which made me remember what I'd seen Lillia doing with Zack in the kitchen. Which made me get all flustered again, which made me blurt out something stupid to change the subject, like…

"Hey Rick, do you think I'll be able to go to the swimming festival the day after tomorrow?" Yeah. Something like that.

I mean, seriously? Even I knew I didn't need his permission. Sure, I had told Popuri that I would be too busy doing chores or something, but I think we both knew that was a lie. Keeping secrets was evidently not good for my mental health.

Rick gave me a curious look, like he was just as confused by my question as I was. "Well…yeah?" His tone made me want to knock myself in the head.

Karen, however, saved me. "You'd better come," she said to me, wagging her finger. "It's going to be quite a show this year, if last year was any indication."

"Oh," Rick groaned, suddenly looking a little sick. Popuri giggled gleefully at his discomfort. The two girls took this as a cue to launch into a story for my sake.

"Since he and Kai are all competitive, and it was Kai's first summer here, Rick really wanted to win—you know, so he could show off…" Karen began, but her voice cracked and she broke off, joining in with Popuri's laughter. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Rick. It was bad enough seeing Popuri totally fail to defend him behind his back, but it must've been way worse for him to have the love of his life _and_ his little sister mock him right in front of his face.

Not that I was actually saying anything in his defense. Instead, curiosity got the better of me. "What happened?" I asked slowly, watching the pained look on Rick's face deepen a little.

The girls exchanged looks of mischief before Popuri jumped in. "Rick had really psyched himself up for the race—"

"—Maybe a little too much," Karen added, flashing me an impish grin.

"You know how everyone lines up along the beach and then jumps into the waves once they blow the whistle?" Popuri asked me, and when I nodded, she continued. "Well, the whistle blew, and Rick jumped in without even looking—"

"—And he went _smack!_ right into a giant wave—"

"—And the water was so forceful—"

"—That it ripped his trunks right off!" Karen finished breathlessly, cackling as she clutched her stomach. Popuri was in a similar state next to me. As for Rick, in his embarrassment he had slid down in the bench as low as was possible for him still remain sitting on it.

I, meanwhile, just stared, looking from Rick, to Karen, to Popuri, to Rick. And then I laughed, just a tiny little chuckle, and then another, until before I knew it I was gasping for breath right alongside Karen and Popuri, and even Rick seemed to be fighting back a smile. The picture was too much: poor Rick, stranded in the water without his swimsuit and left behind by the other competitors. Pitifully hilarious.

I didn't even realize how hard I'd been laughing until it finally subsided. It felt strange and unexpected that I could experience such an uplifting feeling in a place like this. It actually felt pretty okay.

Eventually, the three of us calmed down enough for talking to resume. "So you'll come, right?" Karen asked, clapping her hands together pleadingly.

Popuri copied her pose, mirroring the same begging look in her own brown eyes. "You have to come, okay?"

"Oh, I will," I assured them, giving Rick an apologetic smile even though I knew it was a little too late. He finally gave in and laughed too, though it was slightly feeble.

"Well, I'm glad that in my humiliation I at least gave Claire a reason to want to go," he sighed dramatically, as if it were his last breath. All four of us laughed at this, and Karen put one arm around Rick to give him a sympathetic hug, albeit with questionable sincerity as she was still sniggering.

Standing there listening to my own laughter mix in with the sound of Popuri's cute giggle, Karen's full belly laugh, and Rick's embarrassed chuckle, I realized that something had occurred that I'd convinced myself would be impossible to even consider happening this summer:

I was in a good mood.

* * *

But it didn't last long.

Predictably, of course. The scene with Karen, Popuri, and Rick had been short-lived and fleeting—a moment, one instant, just a little blip on the miserable continuum that is my self-induced despair.

It wasn't like anything bad had happened, exactly; it was more that I remembered exactly where I was. My balloon of happiness was swiftly popped the second Popuri, Rick, and I got back to Chicken Lil's. I felt so trapped.

I didn't know what I planned to do afterwards. But all I wanted was out. So as soon as Popuri fell asleep that night—it didn't take long; unsurprisingly she was quick to fall asleep, like a kid—I snuck out of the room and down the stairs. Neither Lillia nor any unexpected visitors were there this time, and I breathed a sigh of relief as I slipped out the front door.

The night was warm and sticky and humid, but not as nearly as restricting as being inside. I felt a giddiness surge up within me: I was free, free, free. On my own, finally, and breaking the rules while I was at it. My mother would definitely not be pleased to know I was doing that during my exile, which made it all the more thrilling.

My flip-flops made light smacking sounds against the bricked walkway. I was wearing what I usually wore to bed, which meant crumpled shorts and a flimsy tank top. I'd tied my hair up, which helped me pretend it felt a little cooler outside.

For some reason, I was on course for the beach without even thinking about it. Maybe because it was one of the few places I'd visited since I'd been back. No matter the reason, I kicked off my flip-flops and squished my toes as deep into the sand as possible. The sand was cooler than the air, and it sent goose bumps running up my legs. I relished the feeling, crossing my arms tightly and squinting out over the water. I was reminded of how remote Mineral Town was; absolutely nothing but ocean no matter where you looked; not even a glimmer of a boat passing in the night was visible. Unfortunately, the more I thought about it, the more depressed I felt, so I sat down and hugged my legs to my chest.

_This sucks,_ I thought. I wasn't even homesick. I just felt suddenly utterly gloomy. All my adrenaline had left me, which meant it was right back to misery.

I lied back onto the sand and shut my eyes. I thought about what would happen if I slept out there. Lillia might flip out, seeing as how breaking curfew and staying out all night—among other things—was what landed me here in the first place. That aside, sleeping in the sand would be kind of gross.

I was just about to get up and head back to Chicken Lil's when an incredibly bright white light flooded in through my eyelids.

"Shit!" I jolted in surprise but stayed lying down. At first, I opened my eyes wide, but almost immediately had to narrow them against the blinding rays assaulting my vision. The person standing over me finally moved the flashlight's beam to the side and allowed me to get a closer look.

"Hey there," Kai said at the same instant I realized it was him.

Kai. Of course. Because who could be more perfect to completely ruin my mood? Regardless of the fact that it was already ruined.

I groaned, shutting my eyes again. He switched off the flashlight and I heard him sigh as he made himself comfortable in the sand next to me.

"What are you doing?" I asked, annoyed. I opened my eyes again to see he was sitting in a cross-legged position to my left.

"I think that's my line," he replied, grinning at me in the semi-darkness. "You're the one lying in the sand in the middle of the night all alone dressed like that, after all."

It took me a second to react to what he said, but as soon as I did I sat up and hugged my arms around myself, tugging down my shorts, which suddenly seemed indecently tiny, and hunched over to hide as much as I could. Of course, it didn't matter because he'd already seen whatever he'd seen.

I heard him chuckle, and he looked away from me and out over the water. I thought about getting up and just walking away, but something made me stay put.

"How do you feel about Popuri?" I asked, studying him as closely as I could out of the corner of my eye in the darkness. I hadn't planned on asking the question, but suddenly I realized I was slightly curious.

"Why do you care?" he asked immediately, leaning back on his hands. He didn't look surprised, and his tone was rather flat. His eyes were fixed on the sea in front of him.

"She's…my friend," I said, wishing the hesitation in my voice wasn't so evident. Popuri and I definitely were not friends, but there was no way he could know that, right?

"No you're not," he snorted, looking over at me with a knowing smirk. The assurance in his voice, his obvious confidence in what he was saying—even if it was right—grated on my nerves.

"Yes I am," I answered indignantly, maybe a little too quickly. I refused to meet his eyes, but held my gaze steadily to the water.

He laughed, and the sound seemed loud and harsh to my ears. "That's rich. Come on, now—I know I wasn't the only person who was getting on your nerves today. Every time she giggled or tried to flirt with me, you were rolling your eyes."

"Well, I'm not jealous," I snapped, irritated by the implication and how it made my cheeks go hot.

"I didn't say you were."

I finally looked at him then, glaring. "What I think about Popuri is none of your business," I said slowly, letting my anger replace any embarrassment. "So you can keep your brilliant analysis to yourself."

He smiled back, still as calm and suave and unaffected as ever. "My point exactly."

For a moment, my jaw went slack. _Did he just outsmart you?_ I wondered in incredulous horror. _Oh my god. He totally just outsmarted you. _I recovered as best as I could and turned my head away again, giving him what I hoped was a nonchalant silence while I attempted to plan out my reply. There was something about him that was unnerving and seemed to always leave me speechless, without a clever response.

He beat me to it, however. "Popuri's a nice girl," he remarked, suddenly taking on a thoughtful expression. "But I like girls with a little more…depth. Substance. You know?"

I dug my toes into the sand in disgust. On second thought, I really _didn't_ want to hear what he had to say about Popuri. As much as I couldn't stand her sometimes (all right, make that most of the time), she didn't deserve to be talked about like that, and I didn't want to listen. I got to my feet and started to walk away, but suddenly I felt a hand on my ankle, holding me with a grip just tight enough to prevent me from walking further. I stopped and looked down at him in confusion.

"Hey," he said, with the serious look still on his face, staring me right in the eyes. "I wasn't kidding around before when I said I wanted to get to know you better."

I scoffed, yanking my ankle away and kicking up a bit of sand that I hoped landed in his eyes. I didn't stop to see if it did, though, and instead marched away, off the beach and back towards Chicken Lil's.

My heart was beating abnormally, and I couldn't catch my breath. I found myself walking as fast as I could, though I wasn't in a hurry to get back. If anything, I was more awake than when I'd left. I felt so _aggravated_, and I hadn't a clue why—I didn't feel _that _strongly about Popuri. And Kai was just one stupid person on one stupid island.

He didn't matter. None of it did.

It wasn't until I was more than halfway home that I felt the pebbles digging into the soles of my feet, and I realized I'd left my flip-flops back on the beach.

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

Surprise! It's another update in the same month! This was a chapter I had been looking forward to for a long time, so it came pretty quickly. But as usual, it's unedited, although I tried to go back and find my own mistakes.

Oh, and I've been meaning to mention for a while...since I'm more familiar with HM: Back to Nature than I am with Friends of Mineral Town, most of the references come from BtN rather than FoMT. For example, instead of Poultry Farm, Lillia's store was called Chicken Lil's in BtN, and the Opening Day festival was a swimming contest. Maybe all of this is obvious, but I wanted to avoid any confusion since FoMT seems to be the more popular game (or maybe I'm wrong?).

Anyway, I like and dislike this chapter for different reasons. And I feel like a lot happens and yet nothing at all. But I thought it was a good stopping point since I need some time to work out the kinks in the storyline before I proceed.

Also, one last thing--please review! I only got one review last chapter, which I'm grateful for, but I know more people read this fic. It doesn't have to be the same people reviewing every time, though that's appreciated too. Basically, all feedback is welcome, so don't be shy :) I'm kind of curious who's on what side when it comes to Kai vs. Rick in this fic, especially after this chapter. Anyway...enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

_Pack a swimsuit, just in case_, my mother had suggested, trying to be helpful as she'd watched me cram clothes haphazardly into my bag. _No,_ I'd answered gruffly, stubbornly, determined to do the opposite of what she said to the very end.

I was regretting that now, as Popuri dangled a couple strings in front of my face.

"Here. You can borrow this one," she said to me, one hand holding out what was (allegedly) a swimsuit for me, as the other dug through a drawer, searching for a swimsuit for herself.

"Do you have something more, um, conservative?" I asked, hearing the strain in my own voice. I was absolutely not, under any circumstances, going to walk around at the swimming festival in front of everyone in an outfit skimpier than my underwear.

Popuri paused, looked at the swimsuit she'd chosen for me, contemplated it. "Hmm, you're right," she finally concluded. "This color is a bit too bright for your skin tone, huh?"

I rolled my eyes.

A few minutes later, I was holding the only decent swimsuit she owned. Two-piece, but at least it covered the important bits. On top of that, I was planning on wearing shorts over it the whole time anyway, because I wasn't in the mood for swimming. "Thanks," I said, backing out of the bedroom to go change in the bathroom. "I'll be right back."

"No problem!" she replied happily, holding a swimsuit top to her chest and beaming at me. "As soon as we're changed we'll head down for the beach."

* * *

Once we were both ready, we went downstairs where Rick was waiting for us on the sofa. He got to his feet, already in his swimsuit.

"Took you long enough," he muttered, ruffling his sister's hair as she passed him.

"Hey!" she whined, squirming away from his hand.

"Be good," Lillia chided from the kitchen, and then she looked right at me. "Have fun, you guys. And good luck at the race, Rick."

"Thanks, Mom," he answered, holding the door open for Popuri and I. The sun set to work frying my insides as soon as I stepped outside, but through working with the chickens with Rick I had begun to get used to it. I listened to Popuri and Rick bicker over who knew what as I stared down at the shoes on my feet. I'd had to wear sandals that day and the day before since I'd lost my flip-flops. I went back to check for them the next morning, but they'd vanished from where I'd left them after my hurried escape from Kai. A pocket of irritation bubbled up in my gut at the memory.

When we arrived, people were already milling about on the sand, the women spreading out beach towels and slathering on sunscreen while the younger men stretched and worked themselves up for the race. Sweat felt like it'd been painted on the surface of my skin, gathering in the small of my back. Even the shorts I was wearing added to the heat and I longed to take them off, but, stubborn as always—not only with my own mother but with Mother Nature too—I left them on.

Rick went off to hang out with the other contestants, leaving Popuri and I to set up our spot. We picked a patch of sand with a good view of the race and I helped her roll out our blanket.

"Kai looks so good in that bathing suit," Popuri commented surreptitiously in a low tone, exhaling dreamily.

_Don't turn around,_ I told myself, and then craned my neck to see over my shoulder, trying to look nonchalant as I smoothed out the creases on the blanket.

He was standing off to the side from the group of race participants, as if there were a barrier between him and the other guys. A older woman with short black hair I didn't recognize was chatting with him animatedly. Every few seconds she seemed to find a reason to reach out and touch Kai's arm, her fingers lingering just a moment too long.

"Gross," Popuri said, voicing my own thoughts. "That's Anna, Mary's mom. They moved here a couple years ago, and I can't stand her. Anna, I mean. Mary's nice. She works at the library. Anyway, she's married. Anna, I mean. To Basil. He writes a lot of books about plants for the library."

I wasn't really listening, because just then Kai and I made eye contact. He briefly leaned towards Anna and said something to her before breaking away and heading straight towards us. I immediately looked down, taking up my work with vigor and making sure every corner of the blanket was uncurled and lying flat.

It didn't slow his progress at all, however. Popuri got to her feet, but I stayed in my crouched position, staring at the shadow he cast across the cloth.

"Hey, Cinderella," he said, smirking. I froze as soon as I realized what he meant.

The flip-flops. He could only be talking about the flip-flops.

But did that mean he had them? Or maybe he'd just noticed I'd left them there the night before. Was he going to use them to blackmail me?

_Don't be ridiculous, Claire. You can't blackmail someone with flip-flops,_ I scolded myself. But still, this wasn't good. I didn't like that he was bringing it up in front of Popuri. First of all, if she found out I'd been alone with Kai at night on the beach, I didn't think it would go over too well. On top of that, if word got back to _Lillia_ that I'd been alone with Kai at night on the beach…well, I had a feeling that wouldn't go over well either.

Fortunately, Popuri's obliviousness prevailed. "Hi, Kai!" she greeted him, like she hadn't even heard his cryptic remark. I got to my feet reluctantly, dusting off the sand stuck to my legs.

"Hey," I said warily, making myself look at him. For a moment, I noticed that he _did _look pretty good in his swimsuit—his legs and arms were all tan, wiry muscle, like he did a lot of running or something. His trunks clung to his hips in an exaggeratedly careless way, revealing the dark curls of hair that trailed from his belly button to the top of his trunks…

_Stop,_ I told myself, so forcefully that for a second I feared I might've spoken out loud. _Never will I look at him like that again._ The finality of my resolution satisfied me.

"Good luck out there today," Popuri said, pumping her fist in the air in a mini-cheer. "We'll be rooting for you!"

Kai flashed her a grin. "Thanks. I'll make sure to win for you."

I looked away, repulsed, and saw Rick was watching us. I wondered if he could hear what we were saying, if he could see his little sister supporting the enemy. I hoped not.

"By the way," Kai said suddenly, drawing my attention back to him with his slow, sly tone, "if someone happens to be looking for something they lost…well, you know where to find me."

I glared at him, again knowing instantly what he was talking about. I kept my mouth shut, waiting to see if he'd say more. He looked at me for only a moment, however, before giving us a small wave and sauntering off. "See you later," he called out without even looking back.

"Huh. That was a little weird, don't you think? What did he mean?" Popuri wondered aloud, her brow furrowing as she mulled over what he'd said. We were interrupted by a sudden yelp and both turned automatically to see Rick lift his leg up and stare at the underside of his foot, his face contorted with pain.

"Oh my gosh, what happened?" Popuri gasped, pressing a hand to her mouth. I watched as Rick was helped over to where we were standing by the town's only doctor, Dr. Trent. A small crowd of people gathered a couple yards away, murmuring. I saw Anna among them.

Rick kept his hand on Dr. Trent shoulder as he lowered himself onto our blanket. The doctor stooped down next to him with a first aid kit already in hand. For some reason, my brain registered how swim trunks seemed so out of place on a doctor.

"It doesn't appear that there's any glass in the wound," Dr. Trent said, examining Rick's foot. "Just a shallow cut. The bleeding's already stopped."

"What happened?" Popuri asked again, squatting down next to her brother.

"I stepped on glass," he explained, wincing a little when Dr. Trent moved his foot. "There was a broken bottle in the sand."

"The race is about to begin!" Mayor Thomas called out from the starting line. He had been the mayor for as long as I could remember coming to Mineral Town, and he hadn't changed from when I last saw him. He was still short and stout and had a large brown mustache that moved in time with his words.

Dr. Trent glanced over his shoulder, obviously wondering if he would be able to make it back to the race in time. Rick looked up too, realizing that he wouldn't be able to participate any longer. The crowd that had formed near us had already drifted towards the starting line.

"I can take over from here," I offered, crouching down next to Dr. Trent. "You said it wasn't that deep, right? And I'm good at this kind of thing. You go ahead."

"All right," Dr. Trent said, looking only a little hesitant as he got to his feet. "Thank you."

Popuri bit her lip, still looking towards the race and probably at Kai. "You can go, too, if you want," Rick said to her, affecting a tough older brother tone.

"Okay…" she said, standing up slowly, like she was still unsure. "I hope you feel better. I'm sure Claire will take good care of you."

I nodded, tearing open a packet of antiseptic wipes from the first aid kit Dr. Trent had left. "It'll be fine," I told her. "Have fun, Popuri."

She smiled at me and then walked as quickly as she could to join everyone else.

"Sorry about this," I said, dabbing at the cut on the bottom of his foot. He sucked in a quick breath as soon as I made contact with the broken skin.

"It's okay," he muttered, gritting his teeth. "It doesn't sting too bad."

I laughed a little, getting out an antibiotic cream and a bandage. "No, I meant that I'm sorry you can't be in the race."

"Oh. Right. That. Well, I don't mind," he said, with the brittle tone of someone who minded quite a bit.

I didn't say anything else as I treated his wound. As soon as I was finished, I settled down onto the blanket next to him. I blew a few strands of hair out of my face. "It's a shame, because I was really looking forward to seeing you beat Kai, you know?" The race had begun, and the swimmers were off, heading for the colored buoys that marked the halfway point.

"Really?" he asked, sounding surprised.

I grinned and looked over at him. "Really. Someone needs to knock that guy down a few pegs."

"Tell me about it." He sighed, shaking his head as he kept his eyes on the race. We got quiet then, both of just watching from afar while the other spectators whistled and hollered, egging on the swimmers. "So," he said suddenly, bringing me back when I'd started to space out. "I heard you go out last night."

Something in me dropped; a cold, caught-in-the-act feeling washed over me. "Oh." It was a wobbly _oh_, a guilty one.

"I won't tell anyone."

"Oh," I said again, relief flooding back as my stomach returned to its rightful place. "Thanks."

"No problem. But I think you should know…" I tensed, bracing myself for whatever he might say next. "The fifth stair from the bottom creaks. Just something to keep in mind."

I turned to look at him and saw he was grinning at me. I let out a laugh, relaxing completely now. "Thanks, Rick. You know, you're pretty cool."

"Oh, it's just something I learned when Popuri and I used to sneak downstairs to look at Christmas presents." He said the words a little too quickly, like he was trying to be casual about it. "You know. But, um, thanks." I thought I detected a blush. Or maybe sunburn.

I giggled—actually _giggled_—and suddenly felt a little nervous. Sheesh, who was this person? _Calm down, Claire. Nothing's even happening._

"Your bathing suit," he said, and I blinked, returning from another space out.

"Huh?" I wondered if I missed something he'd said. I looked down at the swimsuit that Popuri had lent me. I had almost forgotten I was wearing it, but now that he pointed it out I felt self-conscious again. "Oh, uh, yeah, I had to borrow it from Popuri…I dunno, I always find swimsuits kind of embarrassing…"

He shook his head in earnest. "No, no, I meant that…it looks good. On you. I mean. Um. For something you borrowed."

My eyebrows shot straight up. "Oh," I said, and this was a different kind of _oh_, an _oh_ I wasn't used to using. The kind of _oh_ you use when you're complimented and don't know what to say back. I felt a sunburn coming on, and fought the urge to fan my face.

Suddenly, there was a loud uproar that made us both start. I turned to see people jumping up and down, clapping and cheering as the swimmers emerged from the ocean, water trickling off them in rivulets down their arms and legs as they hunched over, panting from exhaustion. All but one of them, that is—Kai was standing upright, looking smug as the women gathered around him.

"Ugh," Rick said in disgust, effectively dispelling any weirdness that had been hanging in the air between us. "He won. Again."

"You'll get 'em next year," I assured him, trying for an encouraging smile—though it was a little hard to muster with all the girls congratulating Kai.

* * *

It wasn't until I'd changed in to my pajamas, said goodnight to Popuri, listened to her sounds of falling asleep, and then tried to go to sleep myself that I remembered the flip-flops.

"Ugh," I groaned softly, every part of me aching. Staying out in the sun so long had drained my energy, and my head felt magnetized to my pillow. But Kai was testing me, I knew. And if I didn't show, I lost.

I forced myself up into a sitting position and slid out from the covers, not really bothering to be quiet now that I'd learned that Popuri was a deep sleeper. I shoved my feet into my sandals before I snuck down the hall and down the stairs—this time avoiding that fifth step. I felt so tired that the sound of my footsteps against the pavement once I was outside was enough to almost lull me to sleep. I stifled several yawns on my way to the beach, but as soon as I got there I saw Kai's figure sitting in the sand, illuminated by his flashlight and the moon, anticipation kicked in. I made sure to keep my shoes on this time.

He looked up as I shuffled up to him, noisily dragging my feet through the sand. "Hey," he said, waving his hand, which clutched my flip-flops.

"Give them to me," I said tonelessly, grabbing for them, but he held them away.

"Uh-uh!" he sang. He was taunting me. "Patience. Come on, have a seat," he said, patting the sand next to him invitingly.

I rolled my eyes, but sat down anyway, making sure there was a good twelve inches between us. "What do you want?"

He laughed, like I was acting like a silly child. "I just want to talk to you, that's all. Then I'll give you your flip-flops back."

"Right," I said sarcastically, raising an eyebrow.

"It's true," he insisted, pretending to be hurt. "Like I said, I want to—"

"—Get to know me better. I know," I finished for him. "And what does that entail, exactly?"

"Just a couple of questions. Like, for instance, why do you have such a problem with me?"

I snorted, thinking that it had to be a joke question, but when he didn't make a sound I looked at him and found he had an expectant look on his face, waiting for me to begin.

"You're serious?" I asked finally, feeling weirdly disoriented by this.

"Yeah," he answered, nodding. "I'm serious. I want to know."

I rolled my eyes up at the sky let out a sigh. "Where to begin, where to begin," I said, in mock consideration. "I would have to say it probably _started_ when you laughed at me the first day I got here."

"What? That's no fair!" he exclaimed abruptly, looking shocked. I couldn't tell if he was kidding.

"Um, what are you talking about?" I asked, staring at him in bewilderment.

He shook his head, like he just couldn't believe my ignorance. "Okay, let me set the scene for you…this cute but cranky little city girl that I've never seen before steps off the ferry boat, trying to look tough while lugging around her bags. She's acting like she could care less who I am, treating me like _I'm_ the reason she's in a bad mood even though I just met her, and just when I'm thinking that maybe she's not as cute as I thought, sand blows into her eyes and she's flailing around like she was set on fire, and _that's_ when I knew…" He trailed off suddenly, grinning.

I was blushing, which was annoying, but I was glad the flashlight wasn't pointed towards me, and hoped that the semi-darkness would be enough to mask my face. For good measure, I turned my head towards the ocean so he wasn't looking directly at me. "Knew what?" I prompted him, glad that my voice didn't show my embarrassment.

"That she was _definitely_ as cute as I thought she was."

I felt like my heart stopped while I waited for him to laugh, to tell me it was just a prank he was playing on me. It was quiet for so long that I finally was forced to peek at him, and saw he was studying me with a look of seriousness, and it made me think, _This is it. This is that moment in all the stupid movies where the guy and the girl are all by themselves, and then the guy says something like that, right before he kisses her—_

But no. He was making fun of me, I could tell. I wasn't going to fall for it, and I definitely wasn't falling for him. I didn't care even if he _was_ being serious, and not just pretending.

Not to mention there was a little voice in the back of my mind that said, _Popuri wouldn't like this._

"Yeah, right. Don't say that," I said, trying to make my voice firm, like his compliment hadn't fazed me. His gaze made me feel guilty, dirty. I wanted to get up and just walk away like I'd done before, but for some reason this time I couldn't budge.

"Why not? It's the truth," he said, so emphatically that it made the blush crawl right back onto my cheeks despite any resolve I had.

"Just give me my flip-flops back," I said, desperate for a subject change. I reached for them, but his hand caught my arm and he laughed, pulling me closer to him.

"Nope. You haven't earned them yet," he told me, clucking his tongue. "Okay, so yeah, I laughed at you, but only because you're cute. What else have I done to wrong you?"

I yanked my arm away and he let me go. Somehow, this gave me the strength to get to my feet.

"Hey, where are you going?" he complained, frowning as I started to walk away. "You'll be back, right?"

"No," I answered flatly, trying to sound as discouraging as possible, but it was a lie, and an obvious one. This test, this game we were playing, whatever it was—it depended on me coming back. And I wasn't going to let it end until I had won.

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

Wow!! I was completely amazed and humbled at how many reviews I got last time. Honestly, I wasn't expecting that kind of response! Thank you so much for taking the time to do that, and letting me know what you think about how the story is going. I'm not sure how to show my gratitude...I wish I could update faster, but next week is my last week of school so I'll finally have more time devote to writing. Thank you everyone!

Anyways...la la la, drama is building up :D And that's about all I've got to say for this chapter. Once again, it's unedited (I hope to remedy that some day...) so if you see any errors big or small you can let me know! :)

Enjoy, and please read and hopefully review!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Over the next few days, I felt like I was being split in two: a daytime Claire and a nighttime Claire.

It was a familiar feeling, one I'd experienced back home when I would break curfew. By daylight, I was rule-abiding Claire, going to school and doing my homework. But by nightfall—I could do anything, be anyone. I was free.

Now I was reverting back to that double life; during the day I would start by eating breakfast and helping Rick with the chickens. Then I'd get dragged around by Popuri or wander off by myself, come home by five or six to eat dinner and hang around before pretending to go to bed. As soon as Popuri was asleep I'd sneak down the stairs, always avoiding the squeaky step, and then I was out the door heading for the beach.

Kai was extraordinarily easy to talk to. Much easier than he had first seemed. Sometimes it bothered me, like maybe I'd misjudged him, that maybe _I_ was the one in the wrong all along. Of course, then he'd end up making fun of me and ruin any epiphany I was on the brink of experiencing.

"How come Rick hates you so much?" I asked once, while we sat side-by-side, his flashlight in between us.

"I guess he's afraid I'll steal his sister away."

"Is that really it? Don't you think there's more to it than that?"

Kai shrugged. "Not really," he answered. "He's a pretty simple-minded guy." There was no obvious malice in his voice, but something about what he said bothered me anyway. It was true, technically, but it seemed insulting. Nevertheless, I ignored the feeling.

"Are you going to?" I lay back, getting goose bumps from the coldness of the sand pressing through the fabric of my shirt.

"Going to what?"

"Going to steal her away."

"Hmm, we'll see," he responded vaguely, looking up at the sky with a smirk on his face. "I have to admit, it'd be pretty funny to see his face if her and I got married."

"Married?" I repeatd, my voice uncharacteristically high-pitched. It was an accident, but I still felt myself blush slightly.

"Yes, _married_," he said, imitating my shrill tone and then chuckling. "Why? Are you jealous?"

"Pff. As if," I scoffed, scowling. I rolled over onto my side so that my back was to him in defiance.

"Oh, don't be that way, Claire. You wouldn't want to marry me?" His voice got louder, and when I turned back over I saw he was leaning over me, across the flashlight so that the light was cast on his face from below, like a scene in a scary movie.

And even though I knew he was just messing with me, my heartbeat still quickened and I got the sick feeling he gave me every so often, like our game had suddenly blurred into something a little more real and a little more serious, and like he'd crossed some invisible line—

Until, of course, my knee instinctively flew out and hit him in the gut. He made a dramatic gasping noise and rolled away from me, clutching his stomach like he was in great pain even though I knew I'd barely touched him.

"What a crybaby," I clucked, pulling myself into a sitting position and trying not to smile at his display.

"You're never getting those flip-flops back now," he wheezed, still writhing on the sand. The flip-flops had almost become a sort of joke and sometimes I wondered if I really would ever see them again.

Weaved within these usually pointless banters were some pretty interesting discussions, however. I couldn't remember the last time I talked to someone for so long, and talked because I had something to say and they wanted to hear it. Kai had seen beyond Mineral Town and knew there was more to the world. Everyone else living here was so uncomplicated and basic—even Rick. It gave me a tiny pang of guilt to think such a thing when he was always nice to me, but all Rick seemed to care about were unimportant things like the best way to take care of chickens or what he would buy from the supermarket. He didn't even bother to lift his head to see ahead of him; he didn't even want to.

It made me wonder what could drive Kai to come here when he clearly didn't fit in with anyone. I asked him, but he always evaded the question.

"Why Mineral Town?" I asked one night, with knees drawn up to my chin. Sometimes clouds rolled in and brought a cool breeze that wafted off the ocean.

"I got on a boat, pointed my finger, and told the captain, 'that-a-way,'" he said, very seriously. He even demonstrated for me, jabbing one finger out to the water.

"Stop lying."

"I'm not."

"Ugh, whatever. But I don't mean _how_ you got here. I want to know _why_."

"Tell me yours and I'll tell you mine," he said, with that sly smile. He knew that I wasn't going to tell him, and I always changed the subject.

Sometimes we argued, but for the most part we got along, and whenever I caught myself laughing at one of his joke, I still got a little jolt of astonishment, unable to really believe it myself. I started to almost understand what he meant about Popuri, when he'd said he wanted more depth. It sounded mean, but it was true. I craved more than just discussing how much chicken feed to use and what shirt went with which skirt. So I would take the depth when I could get it, even if it meant interacting with a sometimes-jerk like Kai.

And so the days passed that way. Less than a week later, I got ready to sneak out like usual, and I was at the top of stairs when I heard voices.

Lillia. And Zack.

I froze, felt my blood run cold, seeping down from my face all the way to my toes. I'd almost forgotten. Completely forgotten, in fact. I'd started to detach myself from the daytime world, but I wasn't the only person passing between the two realms. And here it was, what I'd been ignoring: an invasion to my nighttime world.

I crouched down and sat on the top step, trying to think of what to do. It wouldn't be right to confront her, though I could feel my body's temperature quickly returning to normal and beyond. I felt so pissed at Lillia, but I was powerless as well. How could she even have the capacity to watch her kids work so hard for her and then repay them by sneaking behind their backs and lying to their faces?

I stayed for a few moments longer, just sitting there. I couldn't make out any of their words and I was grateful. As I got to my feet, I thought about what Kai would do when I didn't show up. It wasn't the first time; I'd skipped a day or two just so that he didn't think I was dependent on him—because I wasn't, of course.

I got into my sleeping bag and lay there, staring up at the ceiling that was almost too dark to see, and pretended that the fabric was sand and the bumps on the ceiling were the stars. I wasn't there, in the upstairs of house while downstairs a mother betrayed her husband; I was at the beach, without Kai or anyone else, and I tried for a moment not to care about anything, not even chicken feed or the world beyond Mineral Town, to quiet my brain enough to sleep.

* * *

"Want to grab some breakfast at the inn?" Rick suggested suddenly, just as we were finishing up our morning routine with the chickens. He rubbed the back of his head, seeming a little self-conscious. His eyes were looking at some point just over my right shoulder.

"Sure," I answered, amazed how quickly the reply came and how easily the smile worked its way onto my face. All morning I'd been thinking about what I'd saw the night before, but the stress lessened a bit with this new distraction. "That sounds great."

"Great," he said, letting his hand drop. He met my eyes, obviously relieved I'd agreed. "I mean, I'm glad. We can go now, if you want."

"Yeah," I said, nodding. Ever since I'd started working with the chickens my appetite had grown. "Perfect. Let's go."

Unlike with Kai, I felt like I didn't always have a lot to say with Rick, but the silences weren't awkward. We walked for a while like that, neither of us saying anything. I tried to enjoy the sun; at this early point in the day it wasn't quite as harsh.

"How's your foot?" I asked after a while, suddenly remembering his injury. I hadn't noticed him limping or anything, but I still wanted to know.

Rick gave me a confused look, like he'd forgotten himself, and then nodded with realization. "Oh, yeah, that. I'm on my way to a full recovery, I think. Thanks to you."

"Not a problem," I said, laughing a little. "But it was a close call, to be sure. If I hadn't acted fast enough, you might've lost the leg."

"Oh, thank goodness. I wouldn't want to give up my dreams of becoming a world famous swimmer."

The image of him being a professional athlete paired with the tragic story Karen and Popuri had told me about him losing his swimsuit in the waves was enough to send me into a laughing fit all the way to the inn. I felt a little less guilty when Rick joined in my laughter, too.

I looked up at the building as Rick held the door open for me. I'd already stopped by with Popuri a few days before, but I was still amazed at how it too was the same. A little more faded, maybe, and one of the shutters on the second-story window seemed to be hanging perilously on its hinges, but it was still the same familiar inn I'd known when I was a kid.

"Okay, okay, it's not _that _funny," Rick protested, following me inside. "Or is it? You can't picture me at the Olympics?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but my jaw was left hanging open when I saw who was sitting at one of the tables, talking to Ann, the waitress of the inn and daughter of Doug, the inn's owner.

"Claire, Rick!" Kai called out to us, breaking into a huge smug smile as soon as he noticed us. "What a coincidence!"

I could feel Rick tense next to me. I averted my eyes from Kai and tried to make a beeline for a table on the opposite side of the room. I felt ridiculously panicked, my heart beating wildly. I prayed he wouldn't say anything about any of our nightly meetings, especially in front of Rick. I didn't want Rick to think I was that kind of girl, the kind of girl who goes after guys like Kai in the middle of the night for no good reason other than getting back flip-flops. I didn't think he'd understand.

Especially when I didn't even understand.

I only got a few steps, however, before Ann spoke. "Hey guys! Good morning! Come on over here for a sec."

I turned slowly, rotating my body to face her. I tried to ignore Kai's face, pretend he wasn't there, but that got infinitely harder when he said, "Yeah, come over here and join me."

I looked desperately at Rick, who I hoped could think of a way out of this, but I guess he was in his own world now, because he was wearing a very practiced blank expression, his jaw clenched tightly. I was on my own.

_Sorry,_ I mouthed to him over my shoulder as he trailed after me over to Kai's table. Then I looked at Kai, gathering up as much bravado as I could. _Don't say anything,_ my eyes told him firmly. He went right on smiling.

When we got to his table, we both just stood there awkwardly until Kai pulled out the chair nearest to him. "Go ahead, sit down," he said to me, like this was the most normal thing in the world. Now the opposite from last night was happening—instead, it was the daytime realm being invaded. I didn't like the feeling.

I sat down gingerly, on the edge of the seat. Rick took the chair to my left, sitting down with jerky movements. I felt squirmy with guilt and discomfort, and wish I'd just turned around and left as soon as we'd seen Kai.

"All right, what would you three like?" Ann asked us, smiling pleasantly. Apparently the tension at the table went right over her head, or she was doing an impressive job of ignoring it.

"I'll let Claire go first," Kai said, sitting back in his chair and folding his hands in his lap like he was the perfect gentleman. I tried hard to not glare at him. We placed our orders, and then Ann went off to the kitchen, her long red braid swinging behind her.

"So, the two of you are out to grab a bite to eat together, huh?" Kai said, his eyes focused on Rick. A polite smile was plastered on Kai's face, but I could tell he was trying to get under Rick's skin.

"That's right," I answered for Rick when he stayed stonily quiet, not even looking at Kai.

"Taking a break from those chickens?"

"Yep," I said, and I thought I heard Rick mutter something under his breath.

"How come they're making you work so hard, anyway? Aren't you supposed to be a guest?"

With Ann gone, I glared at him full-on. He'd asked me the question before, always trying to figure out exactly what I was doing at Chicken Lil's. "I want to be helpful to them," I lied, putting in edge in my voice that I hoped would be enough to close the subject.

"Seems a bit inhospitable of your hosts, if you ask me," Kai said, shaking his head as if he thought it was _such_ a shame.

"I don't really think it's any of your business what Claire does at Chicken Lil's," Rick said, finally speaking. I could tell he was trying hard to keep his voice flat, but the irritation was creeping in, singeing the edges of his words.

"Oh? But we're so close," he said, reaching his hand across the table for mine.

"Stop it," I hissed, jerking my hand back. But he wasn't even looking at me, and neither was Rick. I wasn't really a part of the conversation, just another boulder for them to lob at one another.

"See? I'm sure she'd like it if you just stayed away from her," Rick snapped, locking his eyes with Kai's. "And I think that—"

Kai held up a hand to stop him. "Wait, wait, let me guess. You think that it'd be best if I stayed away from Popuri, too."

Rick seemed to hesitate for a second, but when he answered his voice got a little louder. "Yeah. Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do."

"Oh, Rick," Kai sighed, drumming his fingers on the tabletop. "Don't you get tired of hearing yourself say the same thing over and over again?"

"Don't you get tired of being a jerk?"

"_I'm_ the jerk?" Kai echoed, snorting. "_I'm_ not the one busy controlling everyone else's life. Jeez, you're sister's sixteen already, Rick, and you're not her father."

A thick silence followed, and I knew that Kai had probably crossed the line. I looked at Rick, and his face was pale and tensed, like he'd just received an unexpected punch to the stomach. I glanced back at Kai, who had a strange look of surprise, like he'd just dealt a blow he hadn't meant.

"Maybe we should go," I said, at the same time Ann said, "Here's your breakfast!" She set the plates down in front of us one by one, moving cheerfully until she noticed the complete stillness at the table.

"Um…is something wrong?" she asked, looking nervously between Rick and Kai, who were at a stalemate.

"I think Rick and I will take this to go," I said, trying to pretend like nothing weird was going on. "Um, we forgot to, uh, close the chicken coop so we have to get back right away." Man, I was dumb sometimes. "Sorry for the trouble." I punctuated my apology with a smile, hoping that it actually looked like a smile and not like a grimace, which is how it felt.

"Er, of course," Ann responded, scurrying off as quickly as she could. "I'll be right back."

* * *

"Are you…are you okay, Rick?" I asked cautiously after we'd left the inn. We were standing outside, a few feet away from the doors. Kai had remained at his table when we left.

Rick sighed, a long but quiet sigh, like air being slowly let out of a hot air balloon. It was a sad sound. He didn't say anything, and I opened my mouth to say something when he suddenly spoke after all.

"'We forgot to close the chicken coop?'" he said, and for a second I stared at him in confusion until I recognized my own words and let out a laugh.

"I was on the spot, all right? I didn't know what to do," I complained, smiling sheepishly. "It was the only thing I could think of."

Rick laughed softly and smiled back at me. "It's okay, I really appreciated it. Thanks. And…sorry about what happened with him back there. I know I…I shouldn't let him get to me…though he's probably right…"

"No, that's not true," I objected, surprised at how insistent I sounded. "Please don't listen to him."

"Oh jeez," Rick said, sighing again.

"What?"

"It's just, man, you keep rescuing me lately. It doesn't do much for a guy's ego, you know? I can't even buy you breakfast." He gave me a rueful grin.

"I'll let you treat me next time," I said, laughing a little.

"How generous."

"Oh yeah, that's me." I bit my lip, trying to think of something else to say. I remembered the bags in my hand and lifted them up, giving them a little shake. "Hey, do you want to go back and eat this food? Smells delicious."

Rick exhaled, combing a hand through his unkempt hair and looking conflicted. "Sorry, but…it's just, I'm not really hungry anymore. I think I'm going to go meet up with Karen."

"Oh," I said, my hands dropping back down to my sides. The jolt of disappointment I felt was startling. "Well, that's fine."

"Yeah. So, um, do you think you could take that home for me and put it in the refrigerator or something? I'm sure I'll eat it later, or maybe Mom or Popuri will want it."

"Okay…" I said, noticing how awkward things had suddenly gotten. "Um, yeah. I guess I'll see you later then."

"Yeah, see you." He gave me a little wave and walked past me, off towards the supermarket. I watched him until I disappeared around the corner and then turned towards home.

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

Oh, jeez, I'm really blown away by all the reviews I've been getting! Thank you so much, I honestly can't properly convey how grateful I am. And um, please keep it up! haha ^^

Anyways, I think this chapter is a bit shorter than usual, sorry...but I think things will start picking up soon! Please hang tight. All shall be revealed sooner or later :D

Thank you for reading and reviewing! Enjoy. :)

* * *

**Chapter 6**

I didn't meet up with Kai the next two nights. Partly it was because I was pissed at him on Rick's behalf. But that wasn't the only reason. I still felt a little shaken up by seeing Lillia with Zack again and I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to see Rick or Popuri out of guilt, and I didn't want to see Kai out of anger. There was no more room for the daytime or nighttime worlds. I was stuck in a twilight.

After my second night of not visiting Kai, I woke up earlier than usual, before Popuri. Going out late almost every night really messed with my sleep schedule, and it was hard going to bed early. I didn't need as much sleep anymore.

I got dressed and went down the hall, noticing that Rick's door was open, too. I could hear the sounds of someone moving around on the first floor, and when I got downstairs I saw him standing in the kitchen, coffee cup in hand.

"Morning," he said, giving me a smile before yawning into his fist. "I hope I didn't wake you up."

"No, you didn't," I answered, shaking my head. Then I pointed at his cup. "Can I have some?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah, of course." He set the cup down and opened a cabinet, pulling out a mug for me.

"Thanks," I said, watching as he poured the coffee for me and held out the steaming beverage. We drank in a sleepy silence, Rick leaning against the counter and me sitting at the table.

"Um, Claire?" Rick said, finishing his drink and setting it down next to him.

I looked up at him, taking another sip. Coffee always seemed puzzling to me; I couldn't imagine why anyone would want to drink it unless they wanted to pull an all-nighter, and yet I couldn't stop drinking it myself. "Yeah?"

"Is…is everything okay? Lately, you seem a little—" Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and he broke off. "Hold on a sec," he told me, frowning a little. "I'll get it."

I turned around and watched him go to the door, curious at who would come by so early. Rick opened the door, but from the angle of where I was sitting I couldn't see who was there.

"If you're looking for Popuri, she's not awake yet," I heard Rick say.

"I'm not. I'd like to talk to Claire, actually, if she's up."

It was Kai. Knocking at Chicken Lil's door at dawn, wanting to talk to me. I almost choked in mid-gulp.

There was a pause, and the entire house seemed to be waiting. Then Rick turned around, looked right at me, and said, "Claire?"

I set my mug down and got to my feet, feeling like I was about to go to an execution. Rick's eyes were boring into me, and I could only imagine what he was thinking. He didn't look very happy.

He stepped to the side when I got to the door, and when he hovered in the threshold a moment longer, Kai said, "I was hoping if I could talk to her _privately_, please."

"Um, I-I'll just come outside," I stammered, giving Rick a wide-eyed look. He stared back, his face vacant. I shut the door.

"Hey," Kai said, taking a deep breath like he was about to start a speech. I cut him off.

"What do you think you're doing?!" I cried, waving my arms around. "I mean, just showing up here out of the blue? Ugh! Don't you get that Rick kind of hates your guts? And that I think you're annoying? And that I don't want Rick, who hates your guts, to think that I hang out with you, a person who is very annoying?"

"Ouch," he replied, not looking to be in very much pain at all.

I rolled my eyes. "I know you think that we're best friends or whatever, but I need you to stop acting like it. If you don't, Rick will hate me, Popuri will hate me, and—"

"Why do you care so much about what people think? You should be allowed to talk to whoever you want," Kai said, raising an eyebrow. I started to say something in retort, but he held up one finger to stop me. "But I didn't come here to argue about this. Just hear me out. I wanted to apologize for the other day, at the inn."

"I don't think I'm the one you should be apologizing to," I said, crossing my arms.

Kai sighed and scratched his neck. "Yeah, well, do you really think he wants an apology from me? Like that's just gonna fix all of our problems?"

"It's a start," I pointed out, shrugging my shoulders.

"Oh, Claire," he said, sighing again. "I didn't think you were that naïve…"

My mouth dropped open. "I'm not naïve! I just think that you should—"

"Argh, hold on, hold on!" Kai said, grabbing one of my arms. "I'm sorry. I suck at apologizing. I'm not trying to insult you. It's just, the thing Rick and I have…it's not just a disagreement. That guy really hates me. And maybe he should. And maybe you should. But I'm not a bad guy, honestly. I would hope that you've realized that by now. Just—I'm sorry. I'll try to back off on Rick, all right?"

"Yeah, poor you," I huffed, pulling away. "Thanks so much." I turned around and put my hand on the doorknob.

"I'll still be waiting there for you," I heard him say as I stepped inside and pulled the door shut.

* * *

Avoiding Kai during the day was sort of hard.

At night, it was easy, because all I had to do was not show up to the beach. But in the daylight it got a bit trickier. For starters, I sometimes saw him randomly around town. Of course, I could always just duck my head or look the other way. The struggle came when Popuri would invite me to hang out with her and Kai. And by invite, I mean drag me halfway out the door until she finally heard me saying no.

And I could only turn her down so many times without raising suspicion. Eventually, I had to give in.

"Yay! I'm so glad you're coming today, Claire," Popuri said as we walked to the beach together, a spring in her step like always. "I feel like we haven't hung out much lately."

"Yeah, I guess we haven't," I said, and I realized I wasn't as irritated around her as I used to be. Her sugariness was easier to take in spurts, with long breaks in between. "Sorry about that."

"You've been spending a lot of time with Rick, huh?" she noted, and I looked over at her quickly. She had a look of mild curiosity, but didn't seem to be implying anything further.

_I guess we have been hanging out a lot…but we're just friends…I wonder if Rick has said something? But he wouldn't say something to Popuri._

_And of course, I don't care, anyway._

"Er, yeah, I suppose we have," I answered, trying to be casual about it. "Your brother's pretty nice, you know."

"I guess. I just wish he would stop freaking out about Kai." I winced a little, remembering what Kai had said about Rick not being Popuri's father. "Kai's been really great lately. Ah, you've been so busy that I didn't get to show you, but look, he gave me this bracelet."

She lifted her wrist, and I leaned over to get a closer look. A bracelet made of thick white beads woven into rope was tied around her wrist. It was a little frayed, but it was actually pretty cool-looking.

"It's a wish bracelet," she explained. "He said that you tie it around your wrist and when it falls off, your wish comes true."

I was about to ask her what her wish was, but then changed my mind. It was probably against some wish-making rules that you weren't supposed to tell your wish to anyone else—and besides, I figured her wish would probably have something to do with her and Kai.

"That was really nice of him, Popuri," I said, smiling at her. And then, deciding to throw her a bone: "He must really like you."

Her hands immediately flew to her face, covering her embarrassment. "Oh no! He can't! I mean…do you think so?"

"Who knows," I replied, still smiling while I tried to convince myself that what I was saying was true. Maybe Kai just had temporary insanity when he said he wanted to get to know me. And after all, I hadn't spoken to him in days. He probably got bored—typical of guys like him—and went back to pursuing Popuri. Maybe they'd actually end up together like they were supposed to be all along, and I'd finally be left alone by the both of them.

And yet, something about my explanation that I couldn't quite place unsettled me. It felt like a tiny hole gnawing at the side of my stomach.

"You know, Rick's nineteen, the same age as Kai…"

I blinked, wondering what her statement had to do with anything. She was giving me a meaningful look, like she'd said something very significant.

"Yeah…" I said, nodding my head and hoping she would continue.

"And you're sixteen, just like me…" She kept looking at me, like I was supposed to say something.

"Yeah?" I tried to make my agreement sound like a question, so that she might feel impelled to make her point.

"Well, then do you think there's a problem with you and Rick dating?"

I waited for her to start laughing, but she didn't. I cleared my throat, and then suddenly ended up having a coughing fit. When I finally recovered, I managed to say, "Rick and I aren't dating."

Popuri gave a sigh of impatience. "I _know_ you're not dating him, but if you were, do you think it would be weird?"

I snorted. "Um, yeah, of course. Isn't he half-dating Karen? Or at least completely in love with her?"

She groaned, smacking a hand to her forehead. "You're missing my point!"

"Why? Has Rick said something about dating me?" I asked, before I stopped myself. Curiosity had gotten the better of me.

"No," she answered, giving me a weird look. "I thought you just said you that weren't dating. And besides, he _is_ completely in love with Karen. And anyway, I was just trying to make a point about age differences in relationships."

"Oh, I know, I know, I was just wondering," I said lightly, looking down at the ground. I _was_ just wondering, and yet I felt a second tiny hole forming in my stomach.

"Kai!" Popuri shouted happily, instantly distracted from our conversation as soon as the Seaside Lodge came into view. She took off ahead of me like usual while I hung back, taking my time. I noticed there were a couple customers that day—the local kids, Stu and May, as well as Pastor Cartor, who seemed to serve as their babysitter.

"Hey there," Kai greeted as I reached the counter, looking surprised to see me. I watched as he held out three snow cones—red for May, and blue for Stu and Pastor Cartor. As May held hers up to her mouth to take a bite, the shaved ice slid out of the cone and onto the sand. She stared at the pitiful melting red lump, its color seeming desperately cheerful against the bright white sand.

"Here, May, you can have mine," Stu offered quickly, holding out his snow cone for her.

"I wanted cherry," she whined, her bottom lip quivering, threatening to turn into a pout.

"Cherry it is, then," Kai said, a replacement snow cone already in hand. He held it across the counter for her. "Here you go."

"Thanks," she replied, now suddenly beaming. She took the snow cone, handling it more carefully this time.

"No problem," he said, smiling and leaning his elbows on the counter. "I'd hate to see a girl as pretty as you feeling down."

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't stop a small smile from creeping onto my face. His sweet-talking didn't seem quite so obnoxious any longer. I felt my anger towards him about what he'd said to Rick at the inn slowly start to dissolve. At first I'd felt so concerned about defending Rick's honor, but I figured enough time had passed. And it wasn't my fight, after all. I might as well let it go.

Pastor Cartor thanked him and then left with Stu and May. I noticed Stu throw an angry glance over his shoulder as he left, while May was practically floating a mile high after Kai's flattering remark; poor Stu had some stiff competition.

"I see your bracelet's still on," Kai said to Popuri. He was holding her hand in his, examining the rope around her wrist. She smiled, obviously pleased.

"Yep. I can't wait for it to fall off," she told him, sneaking a peek in my direction as if to say, _oh my gosh! Are you seeing this too?!_ I smiled back, trying to look supportive. I then snuck a peek at Kai, to see if he was giving me another one of his teasing looks like always. But strangely, I found he wasn't looking at me at all.

In fact, he was kind of ignoring me.

"So, Kai, did anyone ever pick up those flip-flops you found?" I asked, attempting to make my voice relaxed while I hinted with my eyes.

He looked over at me then, with a slightly bemused expression. "No…" he answered slowly, like he wasn't sure where I was going with this.

"Well, I just thought that…that whoever's looking for them, they haven't given up yet. And they still want them back, probably. So you should hang on to them for a little longer, in case whoever's looking for them comes by."

A look of understanding passed over his face, and I felt relieved. "Yeah," he said, nodding and hiding a grin. "You're probably right. I'm glad I've still kept them."

"Oh yeah, I remember you said someone lost their flip-flops at the swimming festival," Popuri said, her face lighting up as she recalled that day. "I wonder who it was…"

"Me too," I agreed, and for once I found her obliviousness comfortable.

* * *

Kai was waiting for me on the beach that night.

"I was worried you wouldn't realize what I meant when I brought up the flip-flops," I said as I settled down next to him. "I didn't think you'd get the message to meet me here."

"I figured it out," he said, smiling as he picked up something beside him. He showed it to me, and I saw it was my flip-flops. I reached for them, but he pulled them away, taunting me like usual.

"Not so fast," he told me, wagging a finger and setting them back down on the sand. "First, we eat." He then presented me with a pizza slice, a napkin wrapped halfway around it.

"Wow, this looks great," I exclaimed, feeling the warmth of the crust in my fingers.

"Thanks. I made it myself," he said, and then took a bite of his own slice. "Just think of it as an apology for acting like a jerk. Again."

"Hmm. I _guess_ I'll forgive you."

"Good. Now, tell me what's on your mind."

"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion. I took a bite and felt my teeth sink in to gooey cheese, my attention from him temporarily diverted. _Mmm._

"Oh, you know what I mean," he said, his mouth full of pizza. "I can tell something's bothering you. You seem quiet. And since you've apparently forgiven me, I know that for once it's not my fault."

I finished chewing and swallowed, wondering how exactly Kai had gotten to know me so well.

"Well…" I stalled, not sure of how much to say. Because I _did _know what was bothering me, underneath the drama between him and Rick, and my general annoyance with Popuri, and even further down, past the two holes in my stomach that had yet to close. "It's…it's about Lillia—you know, Rick and Popuri's mom?"

He nodded. "Go on."

"Well, um…I know it's not my business, but I…I kind of saw her…cheating on their dad. Her husband."

Kai's eyes went wide then, and he took a large gulp. "_What_? How? When?"

"I wasn't spying on them or anything, I was just trying to sneak out to come here. I was headed down the stairs, and I…" I trailed off, feeling almost embarrassed. It seemed wrong to share something so personal about someone, and yet I already felt better getting it off my chest. "…I saw them. In the kitchen."

"Wow," he breathed, looking genuinely shocked. His half-eaten pizza drooped a little in his hands, forgotten. "I never would have guessed…"

"But listen, you can't tell anyone, all right?" I said hastily, looking him directly in his eyes. "I haven't told Rick or Popuri, and I don't think they have any idea."

"I won't," he promised, nodding in earnest. "I wouldn't do that."

"Do you promise?" I persisted, still not feeling a hundred percent sure.

"I swear! Look, I'll even give you a flip-flop to show my sincerity," he said, holding out one of the shoes for me. I smiled slightly and took it, shaking my head.

"Thanks," I said, rubbing my thumb against the bottom of the flip-flop. For some reason, it almost seemed like an artifact from a different time period—something vaguely recognizable but didn't belong to me. A lot of things had happened since I'd last worn it.

"No problem. Now, if you'd like to get the other one back, all you have to do is tell me why exactly you came to Mineral Town," he said, giving me a sly grin.

"Oh, shut up," I groaned, taking another bite of the pizza.

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

My update for the week :) Hopefully I'll be able to pull another one off next Friday.

I'm kind of tired right now, so I don't have much to say. XD; I do like this chapter though. Thanks for all the continued reviews, they mean a lot! Please keep reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoy :D

* * *

**Chapter 7**

After I'd shared my secret with Kai, everything seemed to get easier. Though I couldn't always meet Rick's or Popuri's eyes, and I'd walked in on Lillia and Zack one or two more times, I now had someone to share the anxiety with. I hadn't realized that letting someone in, at least a little bit, could actually benefit me.

It was one of those days where it felt too hot to go outside, so Rick, Popuri, and I lounged around downstairs, lazily passing the time. Lillia had gone to lie down for a nap. It was something that she rarely did any longer; I'd noticed that lately she'd become a little more lively and wondered if it had anything to do with Zack.

Rick lying on the couch reading a book, and Popuri and I sat at the table eating ice pops. I had finished mine and was chewing on the stick, spacing out, when Rick put down his book, sat up, and announced, "I'm going to give Kai a piece of my mind."

Popuri and I stared at him, both of us speechless.

"What?" he asked, clearly annoyed by our reaction, or lack thereof. "I am. I'm tired of him patronizing me and always getting the last word and I want to put an end to it."

"Rick," Popuri said, with a hint of tiredness in her voice, "you were just reading a book, not being patronized by Kai."

Rick rolled his eyes, standing up. "I know that, but I've been thinking and now I've finally decided."

I kept quiet, hoping that Popuri would be persuasive enough to change his mind.

"You're going to embarrass yourself," she said flatly as he started for the door. "Don't do this."

"I'm your older brother and I'll do what I want," he answered, pausing in the doorway to glare back at her.

"You're so dumb! Come back here! Don't—," but then Rick slammed the door behind him. The house got quiet.

"Ugh," Popuri grumbled, pressing her forehead to the table. Her ice pop was melting, the juice trickling down the stick toward her fingers.

"Do you want to follow him or should I?" I asked after a few moments of silence.

* * *

Rick was a fast walker. I left the house only a minute after he did but he was already out of sight. I started jogging, but I still didn't catch up with him. The blanket of heat made it hard to move quickly. Finally, when I got to the beach I saw him standing in the sand, talking with Kai.

Or arguing, by the looks of it.

_Boys,_ I thought, rolling my eyes and slowing to a walk. Though I could understand Rick's frustration, confronting Kai was so unnecessary. Couldn't they just go off into their own separate corners and stop bothering each other?

I was about to open my mouth and referee the battle when I heard Kai say, "Oh please, your own mother couldn't sit still."

I came to a stop a few feet behind Rick, whose back was to me. Kai saw me and his eyes widened. Rick turned to look over his shoulder, following Kai's stare.

"Oh shit," Kai muttered, covering his mouth like maybe he could gather up the words and put them back into his mouth. Too late.

"Why would you say that to him?" I said in a low voice, trembling all over. I felt sick and angry and like I wanted to run away.

"I'm sorry, Claire."

"You said that you wouldn't—" I stopped abruptly, my eyes flickering over to Rick. I'd just remembered that he didn't know what we were talking about.

"What's going on?" Rick asked, his tone a perfect, deathly calm. Kai kept his mouth shut, for once.

"Um," I said. And then stopped.

"Why is he apologizing to you? What do you know? What does he know?"

I bit my lip. What could I say? There was no getting out of it. "I…I…I-I saw Lillia with Zack." This time the confession was a burden, not a relief. I couldn't bring myself to look at Rick. "They…they kissed."

It was quiet for so long I finally had to look at Rick. When I did, he said, "So you thought it'd be a good idea to tell Kai."

"Hey, it's not like that," Kai broke in, but stopped when Rick gave him an icy stare. Then he turned back to me.

"I can't believe you trusted him," Rick said, laughing a little bit—a sad, low chuckle—and then suddenly falling silent. "I'll leave you two alone. See you at home."

He left. Kai and I watched his retreating figure, and when he was gone, I looked to Kai. "What the _hell_ is your problem?" I asked, my voice snarling and angry.

"Claire—" he began, but I turned on my heel.

"You're a jackass," I told him over my shoulder as I walked away.

* * *

When I got home, Popuri had moved to the couch and was watching television. She muted it when I walked in.

"What happened?" she asked curiously, giving me a weird look. I wondered how I must look—I was sweating from the heat and shaking all over from anger.

"N-nothing," I answered, unable to sound as convincing as I wanted. "Where's Rick?"

"He stomped upstairs to his room a few minutes ago," she answered, raising her eyebrows at me. I dropped down on the couch next to her, sighing noisily but not saying anything.

"What did he do? No, no, wait, let me guess: you got there and saw he was acting stupid towards Kai, so you tried to step in and he snapped at you because he is a jerk like that, and probably said something really mean and then just left, and now he's sulking and isn't going to talk to you."

_So wrong,_ I thought. But I didn't have the heart to tell her that. "That's…sort of what happened…"

She patted my shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Rick likes to hold grudges, but he'll usually forgive you. Unless you know, you're Kai or something."

I had a feeling Rick probably thought I was a lot like Kai right about now. "…Thanks," I said, sinking into the couch cushions. "You're right."

"Of course," she said, beaming at me. She pressed a button the remote and the sound of the TV returned.

* * *

That evening, Rick and I walked outside when it was time to put the chickens back in the coop. But instead of heading for the chickens like he normally did, he suddenly veered off to the right and started walking away from Chicken Lil's. I stood there, realizing that I was being ditched. He was going to make me do the work on my own, probably going off to go visit Karen or something.

I sat on the fence surrounding the chickens and thought about how much I'd screwed up everything.

Why didn't I just tell Rick what I knew? Yes, it was an awful thing to be told, but it would've been better to hear it from me rather than figuring it out on his own.

Then, to further my stupidity, I told Kai. _Kai,_ of all people. He feeds me pizza and suddenly I'm spilling my guts. I'd always took pride in the fact that I _wasn't_ that kind of girl, falling for the first guy that sweet talked me. There goes that accomplishment.

Now I was left with no one—no one but Popuri. And that wasn't something to brag about in my book.

I wanted to get away from this place. I wanted to go home. I even wanted mother, at least a little bit.

I was suddenly consumed with the overwhelming need to cry. And under normal circumstances, I would've fought back every tear, but in front of the chickens it felt safe. So I sat there on the fence and cried for my own idiocy and for how letting people in was seldom a benefit after all.

* * *

"Want to go swimming?"

"Nope."

"We could get something to eat."

"I'm really not hungry."

"Let's stop by and say hi to Kai, then."

"Popuri," I said, peeling my face off the table to look at her. "I'm not in the mood."

She looked hurt, but I didn't care. I was retreating back into my old withdrawn ways, back when I'd first arrived here at the beginning of summer. I didn't want to talk to anyone ever again, if possible. Rick was at least making that easy on me, seeing as how for the past couple days his only form of communication were one-word answers and grunts. But Popuri had become more relentless than ever, always pestering me to go out and have fun and talk to Kai, which were all the things I least wanted to do.

"Is this about Rick?" she demanded, sliding into the chair across from me.

"Ugh," I grumbled in response, resting my cheek back down on the tabletop. The surface had grown warm where my skin had been resting on it.

"I know he's being a grouch, but he really likes you, you know?"

I hated that my head snapped up so fast in surprise. I wanted badly to dislike Rick for shunning me, but I was too guilty to hold any ill will towards him. It was my fault he was acting like that, after all, and it was all I could do to not beg for his forgiveness. It was a fairly annoying feeling, because I hated owing anyone anything. However, even if I did get on my hands and knees, I knew he wouldn't want to hear it. Apologizing had been fruitless.

"He does?" I asked, feeling foolish at how excited I sounded.

"Yeah, of course. I mean, you guys hung out a lot and he thinks of you as a friend." I felt something drop inside me a little. "Just let him get whatever it is out of his system. I do wish you'd tell me what you guys fought about, though."

"I told you, I don't want to talk about it," I said hurriedly. Though I regretted not telling Rick myself, I definitely didn't want Popuri to know. I doubted she could handle the truth.

"I know, I know. Anyways, I just wanted you to know that, because I can tell that it's been bothering you. He'll come around."

"Thanks," I replied, feeling gloomy all over again. Popuri had kept insisting that Rick was going to forgive me, but he hadn't budged an inch so far. He'd only ditched me one other time, but when we were working with the chickens he took extra precautions to stay away from me, like I had the plague or something.

Popuri seemed to sense I wasn't reassured. "Hey, why don't you ask him to go with you to the fireworks festival in a few days? You know, as friends?"

"Hah," I laughed humorlessly. "Yeah right. Two problems: he's not speaking to me, and he's completely in love with Karen, remember? I'm sure they'll be going together."

"Hmm, I guess you're right. He _has_ been spending an awful lot of time with her, even more than usual…" For some reason her words felt like a knife to the gut. Stab, and then twist, though I knew it was unintentional. "Well, anyway, cheer up, Claire! I'm going down to the beach."

"See you," I said, pressing my cheek further into the wood grain.

* * *

I let Popuri talk me into wearing a sundress to the fireworks festival. And I let her do my hair. And my nails.

Nails always seemed like the most insignificant part of beautification to me. Honestly, who even pays attention to what color someone's pinky nail is? Toenails are even more pointless, because who examines other people's feet that closely enough to even see the nail polish? But nails, nevertheless, are apparently "very important," as Popuri assured me while she meticulously coated my big toe with some glittery substance.

"You're going to look _amazing_!" she squealed happily, clearly in cosmetic heaven. I sighed. She'd already put my hair up in careless-looking twist that took her almost an hour to perfect. I could admit that it _did_ look pretty good, but hardly seemed worth the effort. It felt like she'd been working forever, and the festival still seemed ages away.

Suddenly there was a light knocking on Popuri's doorframe. "I want to get there early, so we'll be leaving in less than an hour," Rick said to Popuri. He glanced at me, and I felt my face heat up. Popuri and I were sitting on her carpet and my foot was in her lap, which must've looked kind of funny. One hand impulsively flew to my hair, but I felt only my bare neck and remembered that Popuri had tied it up. He stared at me a few seconds longer, the longest look he'd given me in days, and then marched off without another word.

"So moody, that one," Popuri said under breath, turning her attention back to my toes. "I'm guessing still no luck with getting him to talk to you?"

"Nope," I answered, trying not to sound hurt. But it did hurt, kind of. Though lately I'd been feeling less hurt and more pissed off. There came a point when childish tactics like ignoring someone were taken too far, and I felt that by now Rick and I had reached that point. But he obviously felt differently.

"That's stupid," she said, clicking her tongue. "I'll try to hang out with you as much as I can tonight, but…" She trailed off, blushing a little. "I'm going to do my best to spend time with Kai, too."

"Did he ask you to go with him this year?" I had taken up avoiding Kai again and had been fairly successful. Talking about him now felt a little strange, like talking about the life of a celebrity; I heard about what he up to but didn't know what he was thinking anymore.

"No," she said, pouting a little. "But I did ask him if was going to go, and he said yes and that he hoped he'd see me there, so that's got to count for something, right?"

"Mmm." I watched her hands as she worked and saw her bracelet was missing. I considered asking about it, but figured that if Kai hadn't asked her to the festival, her wish probably hadn't come true.

* * *

Popuri's chattering filled the silence between Rick and I on the way to the fireworks festival. I could tell she was excited and I tried to be happy for her—well, sort of—but I was too distracted with my own thoughts to put on a good show. Rick stayed silent, eyes trained on the ground.

"Heeeey, guys!" Karen called out to us once we got to the beach. She was standing with Ann and wearing a long, dark green gauzy-looking dress that nearly reached her ankles, and her hair was clipped back. She was, of course, quite obviously the prettiest girl there, and suddenly the nail polish Popuri had convinced me was perfect seemed almost immature. I did my best to not let her overshadowing beauty bother me.

Karen and Ann were both holding plastic cups, and by the smell of things they were drinking something alcoholic. Karen hugged the three of us when we came over, already a little tipsy.

"I bet no one will notice if you two get a couple drinks," she whispered to Popuri and I, winking. But I wasn't interested and a quick glance at Popuri told me she wasn't either.

"No thanks," I said, craning my neck to look at the rest of the people there. I saw Anna—the older woman I'd seen flirting with Kai at the swimming festival—and what had to be her husband and daughter. Sasha and Jeff, Karen's parents, were there too, as well as Dr. Trent and his nurse Elli, Stu and May and Pastor Carter, and countless other faces that I vaguely recognized.

But no Kai. And for some reason, this didn't bring the relief I'd expected.

"I'm gonna go…over there," I said, pointing in a random direction away from our little group. "I'll see you guys later."

Popuri gave me a confused look but waved as I walked away. I don't know why I was looking for him. Maybe I'd feel better if I knew where he was, so I could avoid him.

I made my way away from the rest of the crowd, towards the dock. It had gotten darker earlier than usual; a signal of the end of summer. Which was probably why I didn't notice the figure crouched just feet away underneath the dock.

"Claire," someone hissed, and I jumped at the closeness of the voice. I looked over my shoulder, but no one had broken away from the festivities. I was alone on the beach. "Over here," came the voice again, and this time I looked to my left, beneath the dock.

"…Kai?" I ventured, my heart still pounding from the scare.

"Come here." My eyes were adjusting now, and I could see him half-sitting, half-lying in the shadows of the dock. I frowned and looked back at everyone else. No one was watching me, so without thinking I ducked down to join him.

"Listen. I wanted to apologize."

"Again?" I asked, annoyed with myself for even going under there with him. But for some reason my body stayed put, right next to his.

"Yeah. I'm sorry. Really. It's just, Rick came over and attacked me out of nowhere, and started saying all of this stuff…he was getting personal."

"So you were defending yourself," I said calmly.

"Yeah."

"By telling him something I'd told you in private?!" I growled, narrowing my eyes. "Rick was my _friend_. And now he hates me. Because of _you!_"

"I wasn't trying to do that, Claire, I—I wasn't even thinking."

"Of course you weren't."

He gave me a pained look, leaned in closer towards me. "Just give me a chance, Claire. I want to make it up to you."

I looked at him, this good-looking sometimes-jerk boy, and I wanted to believe him. I could hear the fireworks starting and people laughing and shouting.

"Please," he said pleadingly, urgently, and put his hand over mine. I wanted to believe him, because this was another one of those moments from the movies and even though I was mad, I felt nervous, too, and that nervousness made me want to take a chance. And maybe it was because I knew that Rick was probably standing with Karen, laughing it up and having a great time and hating me, and it was a lonely feeling, and it made me not care how stupid or cliché the whole thing was.

So I let him kiss me.

And after all that buildup, I felt…

He pulled away a little and opened his eyes. He had a weird look on his face, and I wondered if he was thinking the same thing.

"That was…" I started, but trailed off. I didn't know what to say. I was kind of in shock. Our noses were still almost touching.

"Claire?"

The sound of my name sent a lightning bolt straight to my stomach.

_Shit._

"…And Kai?"

I turned away from Kai to look, though I didn't want to.

"Popuri," I said, but she was already gone.

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

Some of you may notice that this is the last chapter (not counting the epilogue.) I realize that this might be sudden, but it's what I had planned all along. Although I actually wasn't sure if I was going to split this chapter up or not so I didn't say anything last time. But yeah. This is it! I promise that everything you wanted to know you will know by the end. I think covered it all. *crosses fingers* XD I think that the BIG THING, which is why Claire came to Mineral Town, seems kind of lame and anticlimactic now. You'd think she killed a man or something with all the build-up. But I had it planned before I even started, so here it is, the unimpressive answer you've all been waiting for XD

Basically, I wanted to say thanks--I've never gotten so many great reviews consistently with any of my fics. I appreciate everyone for staying with me. It's what kept me writing! Sometimes I didn't think I would be able to finish a chapter, and then a review would pop up in my inbox and would give me energy. So thank you so much to all my reviewers, and to my silent readers out there, too :) And to my wonderful editor, who may not always BE an editor but is still there and still reads this and is still amazing. :D

But! That being said, I have an announcement at the end of the epilogue that might be of interest to some of you~ So please read it :D I'm very excited about it.

Enjoy the final chapter of Summer Skin. :) Thanks everybody!

* * *

**Chapter 8**

"Popuri," I said again, standing up too fast and forgetting I was underneath the dock. My head hit the wooden planks above me with a solid thunk and I staggered forward. I barely registered the pain, however; the only thing my brain could focus on was getting to Popuri and fixing this.

A million feelings were tangled up inside me—I was a ball of yarn unraveled. While I scanned the crowd for Popuri, in the back of my mind I was still trying to process what was happening. Kai had just kissed me. I had just let Kai kiss me. And there was no time to think about it now.

"Shit shit shit," I whispered, rubbing the bump forming on the side of my head as I made my way towards where I'd last seen her with Karen and Ann. I could hear Kai coming up behind me and I whirled around.

"You stay," I said, putting a hand on his chest to stop him. "I'm going to go talk to her. I'm going to…to try to fix it. But you can't come."

To my surprise, he obeyed, and I turned back around. Everyone's attention was turned to the sky, watching the fireworks display. The darkness made it hard to see clearly—faces were only illuminated by colorful but dim flashes of light every few seconds—but I finally spied Popuri standing with Rick, Ann, and Karen. I tried to take a deep breath, but couldn't fill my lungs. I plunged forward anyway, pushing my way past a couple people until I was standing next to her, and then tapped her shoulder.

"Popuri, we need to—"

She moved her shoulder as soon as I touched her, twisting away from me. For a moment, she looked me right in the eyes, and the hurt held with him them made me want to die of guilt.

"I don't want to talk to you," she said slowly and deliberately, "ever again."

I stared at her, my mouth hanging open but wordless. I deserved it, I knew. She turned away when Karen nudged her with her elbow, whispering something in her ear. I stood there for a few seconds before I turned around and walked away, back towards Chicken Lil's.

* * *

I had screwed up monumentally this time.

Four more days until the ferryboat came to take me home, and I still hadn't spoken to Rick. Time had snuck up on me. And now, since the fireworks festival, Popuri wasn't talking to me either.

"Good morning," I would say to them as cheerfully as I could when I came down for breakfast. If Lillia was around, they would mumble back a reply. Otherwise, all I got was silence, maybe a detached glance as I walked by. But other than that, nothing.

The combined sibling power of the cold shoulder was amazingly effective. I was at my wit's end. I was so full of thoughts and anxiety and no one to share even a little of it with.

On top of my alienation from two-thirds of Chicken Lil's, I also couldn't stop thinking about Kai and the kiss. Okay, I would admit, I'd thought about kissing him before. Sort of. Just a little. But when it actually happened, it wasn't nearly as magical as I pictured it would be. To be honest, as first kisses go…it was kind of a dud, and I didn't really understand why.

And now I didn't dare talk to him, in fear of awkwardness. I'd realized that I'd actually liked being friends with him—_after_ I kissed him. I wasn't sure if we'd be able to go back to normal so easily.

"Hmm, it looks like it might rain," Lillia commented. She was in the kitchen, looking out the window. "Claire, could you go and find Popuri and tell her to come home? I'm afraid there will be a storm…it's getting late and I don't know when she'll be back. And get Rick, too, if you can. He's at the supermarket with Karen."

Lillia had somehow managed to remain unaware of all the drama currently going on between her children and me. Just as well, I suppose, as some of that drama involved her, and not in a way that she would probably feel proud of.

"Um, sure," I said, though it was the last thing in the world I wanted to do. I left the house feeling like I was walking the plank. I decided to look for Popuri first, and my search took me to the beach. I didn't really think she would be there, but something made me go there anyway. Old habits, I guess, even though I really didn't want to run into Kai.

And surprisingly, she _was_ there, standing at the water's edge. The waves were just coming up to her toes. I rubbed my bare arms as I walked towards her against the breeze. The winds were picking up strength. Lillia was right—by the look of the clouds gathering on the horizon, a storm was definitely on its way.

I walked until I was standing next to her. "Hey," I said, my voice soft. She looked at me, and her expression was cold and hard.

"What is it, Claire?"

I felt a prick at her words, and suddenly a bubble inside of me burst and I was mad. I was mad at how I'd been treated the past few days. Yes, I'd screwed up, big time. But who were they to dish out this kind of punishment? I was sick of it. I'd tried to apologize, and they were too stubborn to listen.

"Look, Popuri…I'm tired of you guys freezing me out. It's getting ridiculous," I said, trying my best to not sound as angry as I felt.

She barked a laugh, and the sound seemed harsh coming from her. I felt my face flush.

"What's so funny?"

Popuri rolled her eyes—another gesture that looked foreign on her. "I just think that it's funny you're accusing _me_ of freezing _you_ out."

"And what's funny about that?" I could feel my stomach churn and my fists clench, as if my whole body was anticipating a battle.

"Well, it's _funny_ seeing as how that's all you did to all of us the first weeks you were here."

I pressed my lips together, restraining myself. I didn't want to say anything I might regret. I let her continue, and her voice got louder as she spoke.

"I treated you so nicely—I treated you like a friend, Claire, and you know it. But you were so…" She trailed off, shaking her head. "…Stubborn. Rude. Distant. But I still didn't give up. I even thought you might've gotten better, but you had me fooled, right up to when you stabbed me in the back. I mean, this is what I get for being kind? You kiss the guy I like, the guy you _know _I like? Were you just making fun of me this whole time?"

"I'm not some charity case," I spat out, quaking all over. "And you're not even giving me a chance to explain."

"Oh, you don't need to. I already know all about your tragic, secret past."

My mouth went dry and my whole body fell still. "What?"

"I know you think I'm stupid, but I already knew. My mom told me and Rick when she found out you were coming here—what, did you think we didn't know? I know the reason why you pretend you're so tough all the time."

"Shut up," I said, feeling a shiver go through my body. Cold gusts were rolling off the ocean, and the clouds were edging their way towards us.

"Like you're that special," she went on, ignoring me. "Well, guess what, Claire? You're not the only one whose dad left. It doesn't entitle you to act like a bitch to everyone."

"Shut up!" I screamed, feeling the hot tears burning my eyes. I could see she was blinking away a few of her own.

"My dad left too, Claire. Maybe he'll be back, maybe not. But that didn't make me start acting like an idiot. I didn't start sneaking out, or lying to my mom, or _doing drugs_."

"I never did drugs!" And it was the truth, though no one believed me.

I had done a lot of stupid things, but never that. I wouldn't want to do anything to damage my body. It had all just been a misunderstanding.

The entire story of my "tragic, secret past," as Popuri put it, was actually just pathetic. And it went like this:

My dad turned out to be a dick, and not just a dick, but a clichéd one; he was having an affair _with his secretary_. I wanted my mom to kick him to the streets, _expected_ her to kick him out, but no. She wanted him to stay.

I was pissed at him, and moreover I was so pissed at _her_ for being so clingy and needy—I loved her, but I didn't understand her. So in typical angsty teenager fashion, I started acting out. I got new friends, the kind that your parents always want you to stay away from, the bad crowd, because I knew they were my only gateway to doing things that I never would have done on my own. And somewhere in the middle of it all, my dad walked out.

So I kicked things up a notch and started doing the things Popuri had said. I snuck out, lied to my mom. But not the drugs.

The way it happened was really, really dumb. One of my "friends" had a simple request: stash her weed in my house for a weekend so she wouldn't get caught with it. I knew it was idiotic when I agreed to it, but I was getting that thrill of doing something bad, and plus there was no way my mom was going to find out. So I stuck it in the bottom of my sock drawer and forgot about it.

Until I came home Saturday night and found my mom waiting up for me. She'd decided to do a raid on my room while I was out.

_I don't know what to do with you anymore, _she'd said to me, waving the bag in my face. But I didn't care. Or I didn't want to care, anyway. I didn't want to be hurt by her not believing me when I told her I didn't smoke or do drugs or anything, especially because it was my fault for breaking her trust in the first place.

And then, when she didn't believe me, she shipped me off to Mineral Town to finally get some peace for herself.

I felt bad for what I'd put her through. I couldn't blame her for doing it. But I was too selfish. I didn't want to blame myself either, no matter how much I deserved it.

Popuri inhaled slowly, deeply, like she was trying to calm herself down. "I don't really care what you have to say anymore, to be honest. I'm through with you. All you ever do is drive people away. No wonder your dad…" She stopped, her eyes going wide.

"No wonder my dad what?" I asked her quickly, narrowing my eyes. "What were you going to say?"

"N-nothing."

"What were you going to say?" I shouted the question at her. Droplets of water started hitting my arms; it was beginning to rain. "Let me have a guess: 'No wonder my dad _left me_?'"

"All right, fine! Yes! That's what I was going to say. But don't start yelling at me just because you're scared it's true!"

For a moment, I was speechless. And then, without even thinking, I pushed her away, only hard enough to send her stumbling back a few steps.

"Screw you! You don't know a fucking thing about me!" My voice was high and screechy and awful, and I'd started to cry. Popuri looked at me, shocked. I watched her turn away, and then I crouched down onto the damp sand and rested my forehead on my knees, crunching myself into a little ball. The rain picked up, started falling heavily in sheets, but I didn't want to move. I felt like I didn't belong anywhere in the world anymore. Popuri was right—all I did do was drive people away. And now I was alone, just like I always wanted.

I don't know how long I was there until I felt a pair of strong hands on my back. In my distressed state, I almost thought it was Rick coming to get me. But these hands were much bigger than his, and when I looked up to see who was helping me to my feet, I saw it was Zack.

"I don't want to go home," I blurted, my words barely carrying over the sound of the storm. It was thundering and I could see flashes of lightning in the distance.

He put an arm around me as if to shield me from the rain, though it was pointless. My clothes were already soaked through. "I don't think we'd make it to Lillia's in this weather, anyway," he said, chuckling gently. He was walking now, guiding me along with him. I wanted to ask where we were going instead, but I suddenly felt exhausted and talking took too much effort. We didn't seem to go that far until he stopped to fumble with a doorknob, and I realized we were at his house.

"Thanks," I sniffled, standing just inside the doorway once he got the door open. I must have been quite a sight, with my clothes sticking to me like a second skin and my hair clinging to the sides of my face. A puddle formed at my feet, and I felt bad for making a mess in his house, but he didn't seem to mind.

"I'll get some towels," he said before disappearing around a corner. I just stood there, waiting. He came back moments later with blankets and towels and a pillow and set up a makeshift bed for me on the couch and said that I could use his shower if I wanted. The hot water from the showerhead was a nice change from the cold rainwater pouring outside, but I wasn't in the mood to be soothed. I changed back into my wet jeans and an old shirt that he lent me so I could at least be a little less wet.

I snuggled under the blankets on the couch once I'd mostly dried off, still shivering. I marveled at how nice Zack was being as I felt myself drift off. I woke up when someone shook me gently.

"You have a visitor," Zack said to me when I opened my eyes. My heart leapt to my throat as I hoped feverishly that Rick or Popuri had stopped by. But then Kai stepped into view as Zack left the room.

"Hey there," he said, sitting on the edge of the couch. I sat up.

"What are you doing here?"

"I saw the whole thing, you talking with Popuri, Zack taking you here…I wanted to check on you."

"You saw?" That was all I could manage. It was mortifying enough to find out that Popuri and Rick knew, and if Kai had heard what Popuri said…

"I didn't hear what you guys were talking about. But I have a hunch. I'm really sorry for making so many problems for you. I know you don't believe me, but it's true."

He sounded sincere enough, and anyway I didn't have the strength to be upset with him at the moment. "It's okay," I told him, sighing and falling back onto my pillow. "I made plenty of problems all by myself."

Kai just looked at me, and the concern on his face was touching. Then I remembered the kiss.

"That kiss—" we both started saying at the same time.

He paused and then scratched his neck. "You go first," he said.

"I don't—I don't really know what to say. But I do know that I think that I would like being just friends with you a lot more than…" I waved my hand, trying to convey what I meant and feeling a little embarrassed. "…You know."

"Yeah." He had that weird look on his face again, the same one he'd had after we'd kissed. "I know. And…I agree. I'm glad we can be just friends. A fresh start."

"Exactly. Now, what time is it?"

"About nine-thirty, but the storm's not going to let up until morning." As if the punctuate his point, a burst of thunder sounded, rattling the windowpanes.

"Seriously? Man, it came out of nowhere…" My eyes slid shut as I was again overcome by sleepiness. I heard Kai laugh softly.

"See you tomorrow," I thought I heard him say as I fell asleep.

* * *

"Thank you very much," I said to Zack, handing him back his shirt once I'd changed back into my own. It was dry, but my jeans were still wet and itchy, and though I wanted to put on a new pair, I was dreading going back to Chicken Lil's.

"You're welcome. The phone lines should be back up, so I can call Lillia to tell her where you are. I'm sure she's worried. Do you think you're ready to go back?

I bit back a sigh. _I'll never be ready._ "Y-yeah, I guess so. But um, Zack? Could you not tell her what happened on the beach, with Popuri and I?"

He looked at me for a long time, and I was afraid he'd say no, but he just nodded in reply. I watched him to go the kitchen where their was a phone mounted to the wall while I sat on the couch, listening to him tell Lillia that I'd spent the night at his house and that I was safe.

When he came back to the living room, he said, "Rick should be here in a few minutes to pick you up."

"Oh, that's not necessary…" I would rather walk home alone than have to suffer the entire journey in stifling silence. Plus, what if he found out about what I'd done to Popuri? About me kissing Kai? That was a double whammy, I knew: kissing his little sister's crush _and_ his worst enemy.

"Lillia insisted on it. She wants to make sure you're all right."

"Oh. Okay." I looked down at my feet, my nails digging into my palms. _You've only got three more days here. You only have to survive three more days._

When the knock on the door came, I rose shakily to my feet. "Thanks again," I said to Zack as he went to answer it.

"No problem," he told me, and then greeted Rick. Rick, who smiled at Zack when he opened the door. Rick, who I wanted desperately to smile at me again, to give me some relief—

"Let's go, Claire." The same flat monotone he'd been using with me ever since his argument with Kai. I felt the tiny hope I'd had crushed.

Walking home was every bit as hellish as I thought it would be. He didn't ask what happened, if I was okay. Obviously he no longer cared about me in any way. I had to blink away tears the entire time.

After an eternity, when we finally got back to Chicken Lil's, Lillia gave me a quick hugged and asked me if I was all right.

"I'm sorry, I guess I lost track of time when I was out looking for Popuri and Rick," I lied, peeking at Rick out of the corner of my eye. Popuri wasn't there; she was probably upstairs in her room or something. "I got caught in the rain and Zack took me to his house."

"We're just glad to have you back," she told me, smiling an oblivious, kind smile. _That makes one of you._

Rick had already done the chores that morning without me, so I was completely useless. I wandered around in town, not really wanting to talk to anyone. Even though Kai and I had a fresh start, as he'd said, I wasn't ready to confide in him yet. All I wanted was for Rick and Popuri to forgive me.

_They knew the entire time about why you came here,_ a voice reminded me, and I felt the hot flush of embarrassment spread across my face. I hated feeling so vulnerable, hated realizing I'd been vulnerable the whole time. I thought about what Popuri said. I did act like a bitch, and sometimes I did feel entitled. And I was an expert at pushing anyone away. But I still didn't think it was fair for them to not listen to me, especially when I was trying so hard to be different now.

As soon as I thought that, I realized how true it was. I _wanted_ to be different. I wanted to change. And I actually wanted to be friends with Popuri, and to a better friend this time.

Of course, none of that mattered if they wouldn't listen to me.

* * *

That night, Rick and I went out to the chicken coop like usual. He didn't ditch me this time, and I felt grateful. I'd finally decided to make him listen to me.

"Rick," I said, when he'd shut the coop door and padlocked it like he always did. "I need to talk to you."

I expected him to brush me off, to not say a word and walk away like he usually did. Instead, he said, "Okay."

My eyebrows shot up automatically in surprise; I definitely hadn't believed I'd get this far. I pulled myself onto the fence and patted the spot next to me, hoping he'd sit down. He did.

"I just…I'm sorry. I know you hate me, and you think I'm the lowest form of life on the planet, but I'm sorry. It's not like it would've been easy to tell you. It was really hard _not_ to, Rick, but it would've been just as hard to tell you. I mean, how do you tell someone that…?" I sighed, closing my eyes and trying to stay on track. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. I should've told you because it would've been better to find out from me than Kai. And I regret that, and I'm sorry."

I waited for his response once I was done, praying that he'd listened and wasn't going to get up and leave. He took in a deep breath and pushed his glasses up his nose. "I don't hate you," he said slowly, carefully. "And I don't think you're the lowest form of life on the planet." He paused, and I held my breath. "That would probably be Kai."

I let out the air I'd been holding in a shaky laugh. "I guess you're right."

"And that was kind of the problem, you know? You…you'd rather spend your time with him, and tell secrets to him, and…" Rick trailed off, keeping his eyes on the ground. "I guess I was acting like a brat." He looked back up, giving me a sheepish grin. "I guess I wanted you all to myself."

I opened my mouth to speak, but my throat felt dry. I swallowed.

"But you know, Popuri…she told me what happened with you guys, kind of. I figured it out. And…I don't know. I don't really want to take sides. And I'm not going to interfere with you and him, in case you're wondering." He laughed, but he didn't seem to think what he was saying was very funny.

I tried to regain the ability to speak. "Well, just so you know…Kai and I decided to just be friends. What happened, it…it was a mistake."

_It was a mistake, because I wanted to kiss you,_ I thought before I could stop myself.

"Oh," he said, and he looked surprised, and even a little pleased, though it looked like he was trying to hide it.. "Well, um, sorry about that, I guess."

"Don't be," I replied, laughing and shaking my head. "I'm not, at least. Because…"

"Because why?"

I'm doing this, I told myself firmly. I scooted closer to him, just a few centimeters. "Because of this," I said, and I kissed him.

We were both sweaty and covered in filth and probably smelled like chickens. But I didn't care, because this was not a movie kiss.

This was ten times better.

* * *

We stayed on the fence like that for a while, and then Rick finally pulled away and said, "I think we should go inside."

"Okay," I said, my voice strangely calm despite the fact that my heart was beating approximately five million times its normal speed. We hopped off the fence and started walking towards the house in silence, thought it wasn't stifling like before. After a few moments, Rick took my hand in his and swung our arms back and forth, smiling down at me. I smiled back—actually, "grinned back in a horrifically goofy and giddy manner" would probably be more accurate—and then he let go when we got to the front door.

For a moment, everything in the world seemed completely perfect, until we went inside and I remembered that there was more to the world than just me and Rick.

For starters, Popuri was sitting on the couch in front of the TV.

Rick and I exchanged a glance, and then he went upstairs. I walked over to the couch and sat down, making sure there was enough distance between Popuri and I.

"Popuri?" I said, or squeaked. She shut off the television and looked at me, her eyes fixed on mine. She didn't speak, so I continued. "Look—um. So, you hate me, right? And you should. But I want you to know that I'm really, really sorry. For everything. You're right, I'm a bitch, and I'm going to work on that. Honestly. Because you deserve a way better friend than me, and I'd like to at least try to be that for you. And yeah, I kissed Kai, and I regret it. Not only because it was stupid, and I didn't even really want to kiss him, and I did it because I was feeling jealous—" I stopped short, realizing she probably didn't want to hear anything about Rick and I right now. "And anyway, I regret it because I hurt your feelings even though we're friends and you're way more important than some really, really stupid decision I make over a guy. So I hope you won't stay mad at me forever, because I miss you, Popuri."

She was still quiet when I finished, so I nervously added, "And in case it makes a difference—I mean, probably not, but—Kai and I are just friends. We always have been, regardless of what happened. Just so you know."

She stared at me for a while longer, and then picked up the remote and turned on the TV. My face fell, but I knew better than to try to get any further with her. At least I'd finally said my piece.

I stood up and headed for the stairs, but she called my name.

"Claire?"

"Yeah?" I stopped and looked over my shoulder, one hand on the banister.

"Fairy and Me is about to come on. Do you want to watch it? They're running the episode we missed, I think."

I hated that soap opera, and she loved it, and almost every week I watched it with her. It had become a ritual of ours, though the past week had disrupted it.

I broke into a wide smile. "I'd love to."

* * *


	9. Chapter 9

(Note: Just to clear up any confusion, there was a chapter posted before this. Make sure you read it! :D)

* * *

**Epilogue**

When I first came to Mineral Town, all I'd wanted to do was leave. So it felt strange that now there was something to miss about this place.

Popuri hugged me when we reached the end of the dock. Though things had gotten better between us, they weren't perfect—but I hoped that time could heal at least most of the wounds.

"I'll miss you," she said to me, smiling sadly. It's a bittersweet feeling, knowing that you'll be missed.

"I'll miss you guys, too," I said, glancing at Rick with a small smile. She leaned towards me again, and I thought she was going to give me another hug, but instead she whispered in my ear.

"I think you're good for him."

She pulled back, beaming at me. I blinked, at first not understanding, but as soon as I did I felt the blush form on my face. "Um, thanks, Popuri." She nodded and then, sensing Rick and I wanted a few moments alone, strolled away casually, standing out of earshot.

"Thanks for all your help," he said, with a timid smile.

"Well, it's not like I had a choice…" I bit my lip, laughing nervously. "Um, but. I was really glad to be here with you. And Popuri. And…you know…" I trailed off, wishing I knew what to say. The ferry would be leaving soon.

Rick took my hand, and I stared at my fingers wrapped in his warm, callused ones, and I wondered how I could have made it all summer without really seeing him until now, the end, when it was too late.

"We can take it slow," he said, still holding onto my hand. "And we can write. And I'll call you, if you like. I mean, unless you don't want to, which is fine—"

"No, no, I want to," I interrupted eagerly, nodding my head. "I'll call you, too."

"Good," he answered, looking relieved. "And besides, you'll come back next year, right?"

I smiled and nodded again. "Yeah, I will."

"Good. Well…" And I watched him tilt his head towards me and he kissed me. I kissed him back, trying to say with the kiss what I felt shy about putting into words. _I'll miss you, but I'll come back, _that kiss said. _I'll see you again. And I want to see you again._

Then there was the sound of Popuri clearing her throat, and I smiled, letting my lips hover against his for one extra moment. Then I hoisted my bags onto my shoulders.

"Bye," I said, the sadness of it all finally hitting me.

"Bye," he replied, nodding at me before turning around to join Popuri, who was waiting for him halfway down the dock. I watched them walk away and then turned back the ferryboat. I stood there for a few more moments, still not ready to board although I was the only passenger and I was probably pissing off whoever drove the ferry.

"Claire, wait!" I turned to look at who was calling me, almost relieved for another delay. It was Kai who was jogging towards me.

"Hey," I said to him, surprised. I had stopped going to the beach at night all together in the last few days; I'd felt drained of energy, and besides, now that Rick and I were…well, whatever we were, it felt wrong to spend so much time with Kai.

"I just wanted to give you this," he said, panting slightly, and then held out a flip-flop. My flip-flop. _The_ flip-flop.

"Is this a trick?" I asked suspiciously, not moving to take the shoe immediately.

He chuckled and shook his head. "No, I swear. Though I never got your story, I still think you should take it."

I rolled my eyes and took it, turning it over in my hands. This flip-flop had been responsible for a lot of what happened that summer. "Well, thanks. Though you know I'm coming back next summer, right?"

"Oh, I know. I'm sure I'll find another way to blackmail you into hanging out with me," he said, sounding confident. I laughed. "Anyway, in the end, things turned out pretty well for you, huh? You got the best friend back _and_ the guy. What a finish."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I mumbled, blushing and turning my head away.

"Uh-huh. Well, just because I know when to admit defeat, and how to bow out gracefully—" Suddenly he broke off, and out of the corner of my eye I saw him he dart forward and peck me on the cheek. "—Doesn't mean I want to. Or that I will," he finished, a satisfied expression on his face.

My mouth dropped open and I didn't have a reply.

"See you next summer, Claire," he said, grinning before he turned and strutted off like nothing had happened. He lifted one hand up as he walked away, a final goodbye wave.

I stared after him, rooted to the spot although the ferryboat horn honked behind me impatiently. I pressed a hand to my cheek where his lips had been.

And so ended my summer stuck on a tiny island.

_And,_ I thought, _the start of many more to come._

* * *

And the exciting announcement iiiis...Summer Skin will have a sequel! Yay! When I first started this fic I actually wasn't planning on one. I never dreamed that I'd want to take this story any further. But the fact is, I've grown attached to Claire and I think that there's more I'd like to tell :) You can go to my profile for more information. Thank you :D I'm looking forward to your opinions on the matter (though I'll be writing it no matter what anyone says :P)


End file.
